Lionel Messi could be joined by another Champions League-winning Barcelona legend at Inter Miami this summer as owner David Beckham closes in on another major signing.
The South Beach club stunned the world earlier this month by pulling off the greatest coup in the history of MLS in convincing the seven time Ballon d'Or victor to move stateside. Amid interest from the Blaugrana and the free spending Saudi Pro League, the transfer has already gone down as a landmark moment for the sport in the US.
However, not content with landing one Camp Nou legend this summer, it appears that the power-that-be at the Vice City outfit are not setting their sights on adding Sergio Busquets to their roster. The 34-year-old - who won 32 honours including three Champions Leagues and a whopping nine La Liga titles in his 15 seasons with Barcelona's senior team - departed his boyhood club at the end of the season and will be available on a free transfer this summer.
Speaking to the Miami Herald, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has gone on record about the franchise's ambitions ahead of this summer, with multiple signings currently planned. He was quick to establish the fact that observers may be caught off guard by the business they are prepared to undertake.
He stated: "We have been preparing for [Lionel] Messi's arrival in 2023. We have left a huge amount of flexibility in the accounts. We will make more signings this summer, more than people expect. We don't have to revolutionize the squad, but I can say we will potentially make between three and five signings."
In this vein, sources told ESPN that the chances of the midfield anchorman heading to the US stands at "70 per cent" at the moment. Similar to the situation that developed surrounding Messi's move, it appears that clubs from elsewhere are also looking to secure his signature and a saga is now brewing.
The situation surrounding Busquets is currently complicated by interest in the veteran ace from Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr also interested in signing the 143-time Spanish international. According to Spanish publication Sport, the legendary star has been offered treble the amount Inter Miami have put on the table.
That said, Messi was offered the eye-watering sum of £369m-per-year to move to the the Saudi Pro League but turned it down in favour of the offer from the MLS franchise, offering hope to those in Miami. It had also been been mooted that Messi's former teammates Angel di Maria and Luis Suarez could be targeted by the Herons in the coming months but the former is expected to move to Benfica, as per Fabrizio Romano, while the latter could retire imminently.
A further issue facing Inter Miami stems from the fact that the franchise currently already has the maximum three designated players (DPs) on its books. The Designated Player Rule — dubbed by many as the "Beckham Rule" was introduced to all a team to have a set amount of players that can earn salaries above the MLS's salary cap.
However, with club captain Gregore, Rodolfo Pizarro and Leonardo Campana taking up the maximum amount of slots, this is an issue which will need resolving in the coming months. Of course, with the MLS transfer window opening in July, these players could all be moved on or the club could duly renegotiate their respective deals.
