Lionel Messi CONFIRMS move to Inter Miami FC… HOURS after snubbing Barcelona and Saudi Arabia

Lionel Messi has confirmed that he will be moving to Inter Miami FC in a deal that reportedly includes an option for the Argentine to become a part-owner of the MLS side. 

Much speculation has surrounded the 35-year-old’s next move over the past few weeks, with Messi being heavily linked with a moves to both Saudi Arabia and Barcelona. 

But it appears he has finally settled on his decision, despite being reportedly offered a ginormous £2billion deal, that could have seen him join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. 

The World Cup winner has also been heavily linked with a fairy-tale move back to his former side, Barcelona, yet, amid financial difficulties at the LaLiga giants, Messi has instead opted for a move to Inter Miami. 

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo he said: ‘I’m not going back to Barça, I’m going to Inter Miami.’

‘I made the decision that I’m going to go to Miami. I still haven’t closed it one hundred percent. I’m missing some things but we decided to continue on the path. If the Barcelona thing didn’t come out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family,’ Messi said. 

Mail Sport understands that Messi, who won four Champions League titles with the Blaugrana and scored 672 goals in 778 games for the club will be offered a lucrative contract with the MLS club, that could include deals with adidas and Apple. 

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ESPN are also reporting that his deal with the American side includes an option that could see him become a part-owner of the football club.

His father, Jorge, had reportedly met with Barcelona president Joan Laporte earlier this week, but it appears Messi did not want to return to his former club.  

Speaking on the rumours that he could return to Barcelona, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner said: ‘I really wanted [to return to Barcelona], I was very excited to be able to return, but after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again: waiting to see what was going to happen and leaving my future in hand from another.

‘I wanted to make my own decision, thinking about myself, about my family. Although I heard that it was said that LaLiga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for him to return, there were still many other things that had to be done.

‘I heard that they [Barcelona] had to sell players or lower players’ salaries and the truth is that I didn’t want to go through that, nor take charge of obtaining something that had to do with all that’. 

‘I have already been accused of many things that were not true in my career at Barcelona and I was already a bit tired, I didn’t want to go through all that. And well, the time I had to leave, LaLiga had also accepted that they sign me up and in the end it couldn’t be done. 

‘Well, I was afraid that the same thing would happen again and I had to go through the bullfight as it happened, that I had to come here to Paris to stay in a hotel for a long time with my family, with my children going to school and still being in the hotel… I wanted to make my own decision and that’s why it was a bit that I didn’t turn to Barça. Although I would have loved it, it couldn’t. 

‘I am also in a moment where I want to get out of focus a bit, think more about my family. As I was just saying, I spent two years at a family level that was so bad that I didn’t enjoy it. I had the month that was spectacular for me for having won the World Cup, but removing that was a difficult stage for me.’

More to follow…