Inter Miami are “increasingly confident” of signing Lionel Messi at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on Monday morning.
Yes, that Inter Miami.
Yes, that Lionel Messi.
In one sense it feels like the most ridiculous timing to be linking arguably the greatest player in history with a move to a league commonly considered a retirement home. After a difficult first year in Paris last season he has bounced back brilliantly, scoring 12 goals in 13 games as PSG have begun their campaign with a 19-match unbeaten streak in all competitions to sit five points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
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His form is so good that PSG want to renew his expiring deal. Barcelona, even, are considering pulling another magic lever to bring back the best player ever to wear their famous blaugrana. At 35, he is hot property at the top of European football, so why would Inter Miami be a good move for him?
There’s an argument that the current trajectory of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career will be instructive in Messi’s decision-making. At the same age two years ago, Ronaldo was playing most weeks for Juventus, but these days he has seen his stock fall. Now he is a regular substitute for Manchester United who has caused more headlines for refusing to come on the field than he has for actually contributing with the ball at his feet.
If Messi were to stay in a big European league two years too long, could he also end up becoming more of an off-field distraction than a big-game weapon? Ronaldo’s decline is not altogether surprising considering the greater emphasis he has placed on pace, power and other physical attributes during his career. When the body slows, it slows. The Argentine, on the other hand, has always seemingly owed more to what is in the brain, and that is less likely to desert him in his late-30s than his pace is.
So he could well gamble on his ability to keep outwitting top Champions League and Ligue 1 defences for a few years yet, but the opportunity to wind down as a regular starter might be afforded him more readily in MLS with David Beckham’s franchise. Moving to America allowed the likes of Beckham himself, Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Thierry Henry the opportunity to bow out as an important member of a starting lineup rather than a sometime-substitute thrown on for 10 minutes at a time.
And that might be a more appetising prospect for Messi right now, especially considering what is going on with Ronaldo. Yes, he’s in great form today, but who can say what his level will be like in two years’ time? Wind back 24 months, and most of us probably believed he would retire with Barcelona. So now that we’ve seen him move on to PSG, why should we find a swansong in MLS any less palatable?
There is, of course, the prospect of Phil Neville telling Lionel Messi what to do, which seems weird. But he’s already played under the likes of Jordi Roura, Quique Setien, Edgardo Bauza and Ronald Koeman, so P Nev would hardly be following a who’s who of coaching gods.
So Inter Miami and Lionel Messi might not be that crazy a pairing after all. While he might still be likely to back himself to contribute in Europe for a little while longer, if anyone deserves the right to decide to go out as a regular starter on a lesser stage it is Messi.
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