Inter Miami ‘increasingly confident of signing Lionel Messi’ and hope the PSG star will join  

Inter Miami are reportedly confident of signing Lionel Messi and hope the PSG star will agree a deal with David Beckham‘s MLS franchise in the ‘coming months’.

Messi is under contract at PSG until next summer but speculation has continued to rage over his future should he not sign a new deal with the French giants.

The 35-year-old Argentine forward has been linked with a fairytale return to Barcelona, who he left to join PSG last August.

But according to The Athletic, secret talks have been ongoing for several months between his representatives and those of Inter Miami, who appear to be leading the chase for his highly-coveted signature.

Such is the advanced nature of the discussions that Inter Miami are now expecting Messi, one of the greatest players of all time, to sign for the club in the near future, The Athletic reports.

Jorge and Jose Mas – the brothers who co-own Inter Miami alongside Beckham – have reportedly held numerous meetings with Messi’s father Jorge over a potential move.

A deal for Messi would be a huge coup for a club that was only founded four-and-a-half years ago and would arguably be a bigger signing for the MLS than when Beckham himself made the move stateside in 2007.

PSG are thought to be keen to extend his contract at the Parc des Princes beyond the summer of 2023, and it is not yet known whether Messi will do so.

The Argentine, who is preparing to play in his last World Cup, can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign team early next year. 

Inter Miami, coached by Beckham’s former Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville, could be an attractive proposition for Messi – even though they have been playing in the MLS for just two years – as his family own property in the American city.

They are also set to move into a new $1billion (£860m) home after permission was recently granted to start work on Miami Freedom Park. 

The club’s early history has not been without difficulty as they were punished for breaking MLS budget and roster regulations last year. The MLS fined Inter Miami $2million (£1.7m) following an investigation into their signing of former PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi in 2020.

Inter Miami play in the Eastern Conference of the MLS and reached the playoffs this season but were knocked out in the first round by New York City.

Messi’s compatriot Gonzalo Higuain and former Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs were in their squad for the most recent MLS season.

Despite winning Ligue 1 in his first season in France, Messi struggled to replicate his Barcelona form as he scored just six league goals in the 2021-22 campaign.

However, he has been back to his best this term, already matching his goal tally from last season in the league, while also scoring four goals in the Champions League to help PSG ease through their group.

A return to Barcelona has been mooted and Messi is believed to be open to the idea of going back to the club where he made his name.

Barcelona can afford to sign him as it is understood that his wages would not be as high as they were when he left in 2021.

Yet he would need to repair his strained relationship with president Joan Laporta if the deal was to go through.

Supporters chanted his name at Camp Nou during the 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Barca had already been knocked out of the competition prior to the humbling by the German giants after another dismal campaign.