Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville has said that it would be 'the biggest signing in the history of MLS' if his club managed to bring in Lionel Messi.
The World Cup winner's contract at Paris Saint-Germain is due to expire at the end of June, and Inter Miami are said to be one of the favourites to secure his signature if he decides to leave Paris.
Barcelona are also looking at the possibility of re-signing the 35-year-old, but a switch to North America is thought to appeal most to Messi at this stage of his career.
Neville recently confirmed that his side were interested in bringing Messi to the MLS, and the former Manchester United defender has now opened up on what a deal for the Argentina international would mean.
© Reuters
"I think this would be probably the biggest signing in history. I can't think of another star of that magnitude to come from a major footballing country to this place," Neville told The Athletic.
"This is maybe similar (to David Beckham's arrival), but maybe even bigger. I think you're talking about one of the greatest footballers of all time. When you talk about Miami, we have to be in for players like that, you know?
"Things will be different. The trees might have to be bigger (around the training ground). The security might have to be tighter. The walk the players have today over to that stadium, that might have to be different.
"The travel might be different. The hotels we stay in might have to be different. But really that might be what we're aspiring to be like anyway. It's exciting, but I think it'd be a massive challenge.
"When (players) land in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, there's places we can take them that will probably guarantee that they or their family will want to come to Miami. Whether they've got a wife and kids or whether they're single. So that's our biggest selling point."
© Reuters
Messi, who is also believed to have interest from Saudi Arabia, recently hinted that he could sign a new contract with PSG due to his happiness at the club.
"The truth is I feel great. The first year I had a hard time adapting to Paris for different reasons. This season I started differently, with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of desire. [I'm] more comfortable with the club, the city and everything that Paris means," he told the club's YouTube channel.
The South American has scored 18 goals and registered 16 assists in 30 appearances for PSG during the 2022-23 campaign, but he could not help the capital giants overcome Bayern Munich to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
In total, Messi has 29 goals and 31 assists in 64 matches for his current team since arriving on a free transfer from Barcelona in the summer of 2021.
Inter Miami have won both of their matches at the start of the new MLS campaign, overcoming CF Montreal and Philadelphia Union to sit at the top of the Eastern Conference.
