Lionel Messi confirms what he 'really wanted' amid Inter Miami move
Lionel Messi announced Wednesday he intends to complete an expected move to Major League Soccer and Inter Miami this summer but also confirmed his heart still belongs to Barcelona.
According to world football transfer insider Fabrizio Romano and also ESPN and Sky Sports News, Messi explained during an interview with Spanish outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport that he "really wanted to return to" Barcelona but "did not want to be in the same situation" he found himself in two years ago.
Messi became a free agent after the 2020-21 season and ultimately couldn't re-sign with Barcelona due to what were referred to as "financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)." Spanish football writer Guillem Balague recently insisted on multiple occasions similar financial issues would prevent Barcelona from signing Messi upon the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract at the end of this month, and it seems the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner read the writing on the wall.
"I heard that they 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," Messi said about missing out on a Barcelona homecoming. "...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 work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more for my family."
Jorge Messi, Lionel's father and agent, revealed earlier this week his son "would love to return to Barcelona." However, ESPN's Jordi Blanco reported Wednesday that sources said "Messi opted not to wait any longer and ruled out his former club as a destination for next season" despite attempts from the Spanish giants to get their finances in order.
Messi owns a home in the Miami area but had an offer on the table from Saudi Arabia that reportedly was worth around $400M annually and could've gone as high as $541M per year. The superstar who turns 36 years old on June 24 addressed rejecting that type of guaranteed cash:
The Athletic and ESPN reported Messi will receive a cut of revenue generated from new subscribers to Apple TV's MLS Season Pass streaming service as part of his agreement. The Athletic added that Adidas, an MLS partner since 1996, offered Messi a separate cut of the company's profits linked with his jump to the North American top-flight, and ESPN said he'll also receive an option for part-ownership of Inter Miami.
Both Messi and MLS acknowledged no deal is finalized, so Barcelona theoretically could attempt one last "Hail Mary" attempt to sign the living legend before he holds up an Inter Miami shirt at a news conference.
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