Lionel Messi’s contract at Inter Miami may not expire until late 2025, but the Argentine reportedly already has another club lined up.
Earlier this summer, it was announced that Messi, 36, would be forgoing Champions League football and Paris Saint-Germain to make his mark on Major League Soccer team, Inter Miami.
As per comments made by Jorge Mas, the World Cup winner signed a contract in July that would keep him at the club until December 2025, and would be awarded a yearly salary close to $60million (£49m).
Despite scoring 11 goals in his first 11 appearances, adding another trophy to his cabinet, and helping The Herons to reach the Open Cup final, it seems as if Messi’s mind is still on the future.
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According to Spanish outlet El Nacional, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is due to say farewell to the team, co-owned by David Beckham, upon the expiration of his contract in 2025.
Instead of signing on for another year, Messi is reportedly expected to move home to his boyhood club, Club Atletico Newell’s Old Boys.
The 36-year-old has previously discussed returning to the Argentinian Premiera Division and playing for La Lepra again, after spending five years there in his youth.
In 2016, he told the Spanish publication, El Planeta Urbano: “If I go back to Argentina tomorrow, which I would love, the club I would be play for would be Newell's.”
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He doubled down on this statement later in an interview with TyC Sports and said: "My dream is to play at Newell's but I don't know what will happen, and a part of that doubt is due to the way the country is at the moment.
“I have a family and my children come first, and then me, I want them to grow up in a calm place, being able to enjoy life with security.
“It is very ugly to see the things that happen in Argentina, that you can go out on the street and people want to rob you and that they can kill you.”
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Despite already formulating an exit plan, Messi still has five league games left to play with Inter Miami this season.
However, it’s unknown whether the father-of-three will be able to participate after he was forced off during The Herons’ 4-0 win over Toronto earlier this month.
Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino made the decision to pull Messi off the field after just 37 minutes of play on Thursday, September 21.
Following Inter's 2-1 defeat to Houston Dynamo in the U.S Open Cup, the 60-year-old insisted that Messi would return before the regular MLS season concluded.
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In a press conference, Martino said: “It wasn’t prudent for him to play, that much is clear. Not even to consider him for some minutes, because it was a risk. Yes, he’ll likely play before the league ends.
"We’ll go game-by-game, defining the situation to see in what moment the medical staff tells us he’s in conditions to play without risking it.”
Inter Miami’s next league game against New York City will be held at the DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday, October 1 at 00:30 BST.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, David Beckham, MLS, Argentina, Football