Featured Image Credit: Twitch/SLAKUN10 & SPORT & Twitter/Transfers
Topics: Inter Miami, MLS, Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, Football, Transfers
Rory O'Callaghan
Topics: Inter Miami, MLS, Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, Football, Transfers
Lionel Messi has turned down a mega-money offer from Saudi Arabia to move to MLS side Inter Miami – and he could have his work cut out to turn them into a side capable of competing for trophies.
Messi, 35, confirmed on Wednesday that he decided to move to the United States, rejecting the offer a huge three-year deal from Saudi club Al Hilal worth a reported €1.3bn (£1.1bn) - roughly €500m (£430m) per year.
Instead, he will join MLS franchise Inter Miami, who are partly owned by David Beckham.
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"I've taken the decision that I am going to Miami," Messi told newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.
"[I decided] to leave Europe."
He added: "It's true that I had offers from another European team but I didn't even think about it because in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona.
"After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.
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"Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to win, and to do things well, but with more calm."
Inter Miami were only founded in 2018 and began competing in MLS in 2020.
They finished 19th, 20th and 12th in the overall standings in their first three seasons in the competition and have struggled again this year.
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Miami are currently rock bottom of the Eastern Conference division, putting them in 27th place in the overall standings, dismal form which saw head coach - former Manchester United defender Phil Neville - sacked earlier this month after a run of 10 defeats in 13 games.
Messi's best friend and former international teammate Aguero says he has been in contact with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner since he announced his move.
Speaking to ESPN Argentina, Aguero revealed that he had sent a screenshot of the MLS standings to Messi and received a response.
"I spoke to Messi yesterday," Aguero told ESPN (via the Daily Mail).
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"I sent him a message with a screenshot of the Eastern Conference standings and I said: 'Your team is behind! You have to move up to 8th/9th!'
"Messi cracked up. He said, 'We have to make the play-offs!'"
The top nine in the Eastern Conference make the end-of-season play-offs in MLS, with 15th-place Inter Miami currently six points off ninth-place Charlotte FC.