Last weekend, Inter Miami’s hopes of qualifying for the season-end MLS play-offs came to an end. It means that following their final two matches later this month, they won’t play any competitive football for the next four months.
Lionel Messi is one of those that falls into this bracket, having signed for Inter Miami during the summer, following the expiry of his Paris Saint-Germain contract. He turned down a return to Barcelona in order to head stateside, but there have been rumours recently that he could move to Catalonia in January on a six-month loan deal.
Writing exclusively for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano addressed the speculation, and admitted that a deal is extremely unlikely at this stage.
“Fans have been asking me about the various press reports about Lionel Messi and a possible loan move to Europe as Inter Miami won’t be playing competitive football again for a few months, and we’ve seen players based in the US making similar moves in the past, such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry when they were playing there.
“However, I can honestly say that, for the moment, I have no info at all on Messi and a loan departure. Messi is focused on Inter Miami and there’s nothing else to mention right now. It’s normal to have speculation about such a big name, and of course things could change, but there’s no truth to current rumours about Barcelona, or any other club.
“Of course, I have to say I’d love to see Messi back at Barcelona again one day, that would be fantastic and a ‘romantic’ move, but at the same time, it’s correct to let him decide whatever he wants.”
It would be highly unlikely for Messi to join Barcelona in January, especially with the club still suffering with financial issues. However, a return feels almost certain at some stage, but it probably won’t be anytime soon.
