David Beckham opens talks with Lionel Messi over huge MLS move for Barcelona star
David Beckham’s MLS franchise Inter Miami will enter the league next season and the footballing legend has identified Lionel Messi as a marquee signing.
Posted Monday, September 16, 2019 by Express.co.uk
David Beckham opens talks with Lionel Messi over huge MLS move for Barcelona star (Image: Getty)
David Beckham wants Lionel Messi to join his start-up Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Inter Miami.
The Florida-based team will enter the MLS in the 2020 season, which starts in March next year.
Despite problems regarding a site on which to build the team’s permanent stadium, Beckham is remaining ambitious about his project.
And the England legend has sent Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough to London for talks with Messi’s father Jorge, according to The Sun.
Jorge acts as an advisor for his son, who has won the Ballon d’Or five times and is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
It emerged recently that the Argentine can exit his Barcelona contract for free at the end of each season under his current terms.
The 32-year-old has not yet come close to exercising that privilege and has no plans in place to leave the club where he has spent his whole career.
But the report states that the MLS is “sure to be a destination at some point” for the forward.
Miami has a large Hispanic community and is closer to Messi’s homecity of Rosario, which are both seen as draws for the superstar.
David Beckham is heading up Inter Miami who will enter MLS in 2020 (Image: Getty)
Unlike other professional American leagues, there is no salary cap in MLS which makes Messi’ earning capacity huge in the commercial centre of the globe.
Messi currently earns a reported £500,000 a week at Camp Nou but it is unknown how much Inter Miami would be able to offer.
Beckham is open to sharing Messi with another European club during the off-season, from November to February, much like the relationship he shared with AC Milan while at LA Galaxy.
Beckham was in London on Saturday watching Tottenham thrash Crystal Palace 4-0 from the directors’ box.
His fixer, McDonough, was behind the Atlanta United start-up five years ago. The franchise are the reigning champions of the MLS Cup.
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