Forgotten midfielder could be latest ex-Barcelona star to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami

Lionel Messi could reunite with yet another of his former Barcelona teammates as Inter Miami prepare an assault on MLS.

Messi is preparing for his first full season with Inter Miami, after he joined the club midway through the last MLS campaign after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract last summer.

While the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner did lead his new side to win the inaugural Leagues Cup, Miami failed to qualify for the MLS post-season play-offs.

In a bid to win the MLS title for the first time, Miami's head office has been busy recruiting players they believe will complement Messi the best.

Messi's former Barca teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba quickly followed the Argentine star to Miami after both left Barcelona last year.

In December Miami confirmed the much speculated signing of Luis Suarez, Messi's close friend and former attacking partner at Camp Nou.

Suarez's move to Florida was complicated by the contract he had with Brazilian side Gremio, and Miami could face more complex negotiations if they are to bring in another of Messi's old pals.

That's because the club are keen on signing former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, who played with Messi at Barca for two seasons.

Inter Miami reportedly want to sign the 31-year-old - currently on loan at Al Duhail in Qatar from Aston Villa - on loan, although the Premier League high-fliers would prefer to sell the attacking midfielder.

Coutinho has scored just one goal in his last 22 appearances (Image: Alamy)

According to Marca, Coutinho is in talks with several MLS franchises.

The Brazilian attacking midfielder became one of the most expensive players of all time when Barcelona signed him from Liverpool in 2018 in a deal worth around £142 million.

However, Coutinho failed to live up to his price tag and chipped in just 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 appearances for the club. In fact, his most significant contribution in a Barcelona match came when he scored two goals in a 8-2 win against his parent club while on loan at Bayern Munich.

Coutinho's Barcelona nightmare ended in 2022 when Aston Villa signed him for £17 million, but two years on he has no place in the plans of manager Unai Emery.

It sounds like Coutinho has several offers on the table, but when Messi comes calling, can you really say no?