Lionel Messi’s impending arrival at Inter Miami is set to change the face of the club and Major League Soccer. But Messi may just be the beginning.
There has already been speculation that his former club teammates from his time in Europe, plus others from the Argentina national team, could be candidates to follow.
Messi, now 35, has a number of former teammates from around the world who could be in contractual situations that would allow them to link up in South Beach.
Sergio Busquets to follow Messi to Inter Miami?
The player most mentioned to potentially be joining Messi in Miami is his old Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets.
According to a number of reports, including Graeme Bailey of 90min and MLS Spanish-language broadcaster Carlos Suarez, Busquets has agreed to join the club and will be announced in the days following Messi’s announcement.
Busquets is in the perfect position to switch clubs, as he is departing Barcelona in June 2023 at the expiration of his contract. The 34-year-old spent his entire career at Barcelona, and is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all-time.
Luis Suarez to sign for Inter Miami with Messi?
According to MLS Spanish-language broadcaster Carlos Suarez, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez could also be a candidate to join him at Inter Miami.
Also reporting that Suarez is in the mix is TyC reporter Gaston Edul.
Since departing Barcelona in 2020, Suarez has bounced around clubs, as his career winds down. Now 36 years old, Suarez has spent time with Atletico Madrid and Uruguayan side Nacional before joining his current team, Brazilian club Gremio.
Suarez’s Gremio contract expires in December 2024, so a transfer fee or a mutual agreement to terminate the contract would be required, unless Gremio do him a solid and let him out of his contract.
According to Turkish transfer journalist Ekrem Konur, Suarez rejected a contract offer from Inter Miami in late May, but the club is preparing an improved offer.
Could Angel Di Maria, Jordi Alba join Inter Miami?
Also mentioned in a few of the reports are Messi’s Argentina teammate Angel Di Maria and his former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba.
Di Maria spent the 2022/23 season with Italian club Juventus, but has departed as a free agent with the season concluded. Alba, meanwhile, has left Barcelona as a free agent after 11 years at the club, in similar fashion to Sergio Busquets.
TyC reporter Gaston Edul and MLS Spanish-language broadcaster Carlos Suarez have both mentioned Di Maria and Alba as possibilities, stating they are “wanted” by the MLS club, but have not gone further than that. These moves would make sense if only Inter Miami could make the financials work within the strict league salary rules. That might be too much to ask if Busquets and Suarez are also in the picture.
Finally, another report from TyC journalist Cesar Luis Merlo stated that in addition to the others already mentioned, Leandro Paredes could also be a candidate to arrive in Miami. The 28-year-old Argentine midfielder will see his contract expire in June 2023, thus making him a free agent.