HERE WE GO! Fabrizio Romano confirms Messi to Inter Miami transfer

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 7 Jun 2023 17:08 BST
• 4 min read

Lionel Messi will join Inter Miami on a free transfer.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news on Wednesday afternoon, revealing that the Argentine legend would announce the transfer officially in the coming hours.

This came shortly after L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi had reported that Messi has rejected a world record contract offer worth €1 billion per year from Al Hilal.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 7, 2023

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The Athletic then added that Messi had no interest in moving to Saudi Arabia and that the Argentine was closing in on a transfer to MLS side Inter Miami.

That now appears to have come to pass.

Indeed, the Athletic reveals that Messi’s debut for Inter Miami has been pencilled in for July 21 in a match against Mexican team Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium.

Major League Soccer have assisted Inter Miami in getting the deal done.

In order to increase the financial offer for Messi, two of the MLS’ biggest commercial partners - Apple and Adidas - contributed to get the deal done.

READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals

Apple are “prepared to offer Messi a share of the revenue generated by new subscribers to MLS Season Pass, the league’s streaming package on Apple TV+”, according to the Athletic.

Adidas, meanwhile, “are offering Messi a profit-sharing agreement with the sportswear giant which would involve the player receiving a cut of any increase in Adidas’ profits resulting from his involvement in MLS.”

In another carrot to Messi, the 35-year-old may be granted the option to buy a stake in an MLS team when his career in the States ends. This is the same privilege afforded to David Beckham when he played for LA Galaxy.

Inter Miami, Al Hilal and Barcelona are in a three-horse race to sign Messi on a free transfer.

Messi will leave PSG at the end of the month when his contract expires.

A return to Barcelona is believed to have been Messi’s preference but for financial reasons a deal was not possible.

His father and agent Jorge Messi met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta on Monday to discuss a potential return, though no offer was made.

For the transfer to go through, La Liga needed to approve Barcelona’s so-called ‘Viability Plan’ but the Blaugrana then had to execute it by raising cash through the sale of some big players such as Ansu Fati and Raphinha.

This was always unlikely to happen as Jorge Messi admitted on Tuesday.

Messi to Barcelona not likely

"I don't think it will happen. A lot of things have to happen," Jorge Messi was quoted as saying.

The best financial offer was from Saudi Arabia, as it was reported that Al-Hilal offered Messi a contract in the region of €400-600 million a year.

Tanzi reported on Wednesday that this offer was increased to a barely believable €1bn per year.

But Messi is now on his way to Inter Miami, as Romano has confirmed.