David Beckham and Inter Miami suffer major setback in attempts to sign Lionel Messi: Reports

According to reports, David Beckham's Inter Miami have suffered a major setback in their attempt to sign Lionel Messi from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentine forward looks set to leave the French club in the summer. He is currently in the final months of his contract and it appears likely that he will leave the club as a free agent in the summer.

MLS club Inter Miami, co-owned by Beckham, have previously been linked with a move for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

The former Real Madrid midfielder has previously said on the matter (via Manchester Evening News):

"Well you know what, we've got great opportunities down in Miami, We've been contacted by a lot of different players over possibly coming to join the team."

The former Manchester United man further added:

"As with any owner, you really want the best players and if we have the opportunity to bring in players like Cristiano [Ronaldo] or Leo [Messi]... I have such admiration for them as athletes, if we could bring those players in then great."

However, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, while Lionel Messi looks set to leave PSG, he is more likely to stay in Europe.

Messi's former club, Barcelona, have been linked with a move for the attacker. The Blaugrana are exploring the opportunity to bring their greatest-ever player back to Spotify Camp Nou.

They are looking to work on FFP rules before submitting an official bid for Messi. The Argentine left the club in 2021 after they were unable to renew his deal due to La Liga's wage cap rules. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 matches for the Catalan club, winning numerous trophies.

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L'Equipe recently reported about David Beckham's Inter Miami prioritizing Lionel Messi's signing

French newspaper L'Equipe recently reported that David Beckham's Inter Miami believe Lionel Messi would be a huge signing for the club and the MLS.

The newspaper claimed (via MARCA):

"He has clearly become the number one priority of Jorge Mas, the main owner of Inter Miami, The first talks date back to June 2021, before Messi signed for PSG. Since then, talks have resumed and Jorge Mas spent a lot of time with Messi's entourage during the World Cup in Qatar in December."

However, it looks like the MLS side are set to be disappointed. Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal have also reportedly submitted a mega €400 million a year bid for the Argentine.