Posters showing Lionel Messi in an Inter Miami kit have emerged in a shopfront in New York despite the fact that the Argentinian icon is yet to officially sign for the club.
The 36-year-old is expected to complete his long-awaited transfer to the Herons in the coming months following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain but has yet to sign on the dotted line for his new employers. However, Adidas' store in SoHo has been pictured decked out in Inter Miami merchandise, alongside posters depicting the superstar wearing the club's colours.
One poster shows Messi in the South Beach team's pink kit, while also showing an image of what appears to be the World Cup winner from the back wearing his customary number 10 - a number that is currently available on the Miami roster. In between these depictions, the legendary attacker is accompanied by the tagline " Impossible Is Nothing ".
Another mock-up of the image includes a thinly-veiled reference to the former Barcelona ace's upcoming transfer to MLS, with the tagline reading " Impossible Is Coming ", this time around. On top of this, a poster in the store also shows Messi in Inter Miami training gear superimposed against a pink background, along with a message heralding his arrival of " Bienvenidos a Miami ", potentially in reference to the Will Smith smash hit song.
Messi - considered by many observers to be the greatest player to ever play the game - confirmed last month that he had snubbed a potential return to Camp Nou as well as a lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia in favour of a move to Florida. The veteran star has won 43 trophies in a glittering career and the expected move to the US will represent the first time he has played outside of Europe at club level.
In an interview with Spanish outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport, Messi did reveal that the deal still had not been completed but did say that he had made up his mind. He explained: "I made the decision that I'm going to go to Miami.
"I still haven't closed it 100%. I'm still missing a few things, but we decided to go ahead. If Barcelona didn't work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family."
Although the MLS summer transfer window officially opened on June 5, the star has not yet officially been announced as Inter Miami player by the club. His contract expired at PSG at the end of June and he is currently on holiday with his wife and three children after a gruelling season.
He is set to be joined by former teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at in South Florida, with ex-Barça and Argentina boss Tata Martino also slated to take the reigns as head coach following Phil Neville's dismissal. As it stands, it is believed that Messi will officially be unveiled as an Inter Miami player in a dedicated ceremony at DRV PNK Stadium on July 16.
Following on from this, the expectation is that the Camp Nou hero will then take to the field for the first time for his new club on July 21 in the Leagues Cup against Mexican outfit Cruz Azul.
