MLS side desperate to sign PSG superstar Lionel Messi on a free transfer this summer - Reports

Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami are eager to sign Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Lionel Messi in the summer, French outlet L’Equipe has reported (via MARCA).

Lionel Messi, who joined the Parisians in the summer of 2021 as a free agent, will see his contract expire in June. Following a lackluster debut season, during which he scored 11 times in 34 games across competitions, Messi has found his footing in the French capital.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has been in considerably better form this season, scoring 18 times and providing 17 assists in 31 games across competitions.

Despite his excellent numbers, contract talks are yet to come to fruition. According to the aforementioned report, Messi’s future is up in the air following PSG’s Champions League Round of 16 exit to Bayern Munich. He has been linked with David Beckham’s Inter Miami, who are reportedly prepared to use every possible tool to sign him as a free agent in the summer.

Inter are aware of the impact Messi’s arrival would have on the club’s as well as the league’s image. As per The Athletic, they could offer the PSG ace a lucrative deal to move to the States. That could reportedly include real estate around the club’s stadium and additional sponsorship deals.

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Former PSG player Jerome Rothen slams Lionel Messi for not showing Parisians any respect

Former French winger Jerome Rothen has said that Lionel Messi does not give his best when playing for the Parisians.

Rothen added that Les Parisiens fell at Messi’s feet thinking he would win them the UEFA Champions League, slamming the 35-year-old for falling short for the second consecutive season.

Insisting Messi was a lot more invested while representing Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Rothen said:

“The joke is that we saw his matches in Qatar, I saw his movements, how he invested himself. And I don't mind that, considering it's the national team jersey, a separate thing, but hey, respect the club in the capital a little, the one which allows you to maintain a status and salary. Only PSG could give him all of that and, obviously, PSG fell at his feet because they thought Messi was going to help us win (the Champions League). But he doesn't win us anything!”

Rothen’s comments came after Messi cut a frustrating figure in the 2-0 Champions League Round of 16 second leg defeat to Bayern Munich last week. The 3-0 aggregate defeat saw the Ligue 1 giants exit in the pre-quarterfinals for the second straight season.

They were eliminated by Real Madrid in the 2021-22 season after losing 3-2 on aggregate. Lionel Messi failed to score or assist in the bitter defeat to the 14-time European champions.