Inter Miami hope to sign Messi if PSG star ever makes MLS transfer

Inter Miami's Chief Business Officer (CBO) Xavier Asensi admitted that his team would jump at the chance to sign Lionel Messi if he decided to move to MLS. The Argentine is gearing up for his second season at Paris Saint-Germain, after completing a blockbuster move from Barcelona last summer to end two decades with the Catalan club.

At 35, Messi still has plenty to offer, but has given little indication of what, if any, his next move might be once he leaves Parc des Princes.

"Would I sign players like Messi? Yes, with some caveats. You can't compare Leo Messi with any other player; he's different," Asensi explained in an interview with Barcelona sports daily Mundo Deportivo.

"Having said that, what we're looking for is to be the reference point for football in the U.S., and to do that, the important thing is the players and the show that you can put on.

"To do so, you need the best players, and having them is a genuine objective at this club. In terms of Leo Messi, there's him and then there's everyone else."

Asensi knows Messi well, having worked at Barcelona prior to joining the boardroom at MLS new boys Inter Miami, who played their inaugural season in 2020.

"It depends on him and what he wants," he said when asked if the Argentine legend would be open to a move stateside.

"We want to have the best players in the world, and I think Messi is the best in history. From there it's up to him.

"We want to be the reference point for football in the U.S., that's one of the objectives of the organisation."

Messi is under contract until June 2023 at PSG, and is yet to commit to talks over extending his deal past the upcoming season.