Lionel Messi to Barcelona? Or Lionel Messi to Inter Miami? Perhaps both can turn out to be true based on new reports on the upcoming Messi transfer saga.
The 2022 World Cup champion is out of contract with PSG this summer and is due to play his last game with the French club on Saturday, June 3.
Speculation has been rampant about where he could be headed and reports have linked him with three primary options: a return to Barcelona, a move to Inter Miami in the USA, or a mega-money contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.
At different times in recent months, the media coverage emerging from Spain, France, Argentina, and the USA has made each of these appear like realistic options.
But the latest scenario, which was also mooted last year, contains enough detail that it feels credible. Here are the latest reports from Europe.
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Messi to Barcelona and then Miami?
According to a report in French outlet L'Equipe, Barcelona and Inter Miami could team up to sign Messi in a deal that would see him start in Barcelona and end up at Inter Miami.
The report speaks of a loan from the MLS side to Barca as a way for the Spanish club to get around the financial restrictions based on league spending rules in Spain.
But the span of the proposed loan is anywhere from six to 18 months, which is not insignificant for a player of Messi's age (he turns 37 in June 2024).
"This would allow him to continue playing at the highest level in Europe until the Copa America 2024, to come full circle with the club of his life, before going to discover MLS," according to an excerpt of the report translated by the Miami Herald.
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How deal between Barcelona and Inter Miami could work (or not)
Joining a Major League Soccer club in the middle of the summer is never easy for players based in Europe (the MLS season runs from February to December). So, waiting for Messi to join in January 2024 for a full preseason with his new team would make sense. That would be the six-month loan option to Barcelona.
However, if Messi were to extend his stay at Barcelona for the full 2023/24 European season (through end of June 2024), that would also take him away from the first four to five months of the 2024 MLS season.
If you toss in the Copa America 2024, some vacation time, and a personalized preseason that Messi would need at age 37, it would make little sense for Inter Miami to plan their grand Messi rollout for the final three to four months of the 2024 MLS regular season (August-November).
That's where the 18-month stay at Barcelona could make sense from a timing standpoint. It would see Messi become an Inter Miami player beginning in January 2025 to start a fresh season in which Miami are expected to christen a brand new stadium in downtown.
But there's no telling in what shape Messi would be by then. So, while Barcelona get Messi for one last dance, and Messi can continue to chase Champions League glory one last time, Inter Miami could be getting the short end of the deal as outlined.
It could be telling that a reporter with Relevo in Spain, Toni Juanmarti, reports that his sources tell him the news of a partnership by L'Equipe on May 31 was a surprise to Inter Miami, and that the option was never raised with the MLS club.
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Messi's next club?
Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal is offering the most money (reportedly upward of $400 million a season). Barcelona gives Messi a chance to play in the Champions League and to bring a fairy-tale ending to his European career. And Inter Miami represents an opportunity to conquer a new continent that will be host to the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup.
What's certain is that Messi is set to take his time before making a final announcement.
When reports emerged that Messi had decided to sign for Al Hilal, the statement by Messi's dad made it clear that a final decision won't be made until after PSG's season and only following some time for the Messi clan to think things through.
That's plenty of time for more and more speculation on what Messi will do. The next report shouldn't be too far behind.