Inter Miami eye big-money transfer to reunite Lionel Messi with former team-mate
MLS side Inter Miami could add Angel Di Maria to their squad this summer following the arrival of fellow Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi in Florida.
Messi has joined the franchise, co-owned by David Beckham , having turned down reported offers to re-join Barcelona and to follow Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia. He could now be joined by his international colleague in the Sunshine State, with reports linking Di Maria to the Miami club.
Di Maria and Messi had spent a year together at PSG during the 2021/22 season, before the former joined Juventus on a one-year-deal ahead of the World Cup. Di Maria's exit from the Serie A giants has been confirmed following a tough season domestically for both parties and his next move is subject to plenty of interest.
Argentine journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, of TyC Sports has claimed that Di Maria is subject to the interest from Miami and Beckham, with the former England captain keen to reunite Messi with his Argentina teammate. The pair both contributed goals as La Albiceleste beat France in the World Cup final last December and are thought to have a strong bond.
Such is their bond, the offer could have some appeal to Di Maria, despite the 35-year-old thought to prefer a move to stay in Europe . Messi and Di Maria both have gained over 100 caps for their country, with Di Maria making his debut in 2008, three years after Messi's first appearance for his country.
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Having won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics together, they both progressed to become two of the best attacking players in the world during the past decade. Having spent just one season together at club level, they could be keen to take on a new project in the MLS.
Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria won the 2022 World Cup together with Argentina ((Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images))Will Lionel Messi's arrival in the MLS increase the popularity of the sport in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section
Inter Miami made the decision to sack Phil Neville earlier this month, with the club bottom of the Eastern Conference following just five wins from 11 games this season. This was a move which could have been made with the signing of Messi and other big names, with Miami's struggles this season having the potential to dissuade prospective transfer targets.
The franchise, formed in 2018, will need to shuffle their squad in order to accommodate Messi, with Gregore, Rodolfo Pizarro and Leonardo Campana currently the three designated players.
This means that one of these players would have to take a regular spot on the roster, with the designated player rule allowing three players outside the regular roster to not be taken into account as part of the league's base salary cap of $5.2 million.
However, with the chance to sign Di Maria, there could be the need for yet more rearrangement as the club seek to push forwards in their plans to become a major force within MLS.
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