It looks like footballing icon Lionel Messi is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain for MLS side Inter Miami.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has reported that Messi is heading to the United States in a blockbuster deal, with the Argentine's former club Barcelona missing out on a fairytale reunion despite interest in bringing the 35-year-old back to the Nou Camp. The La Liga champions missing out on their all-time top scorer could strangely enough impact Arsenal's transfer plans.
The Gunners have been linked with potential moves for Manchester City duo Joao Cancelo and Ilkay Gundogan, who have also been mooted as potential targets for Barcelona.
The Blaugrana are in the midst of well-documented financial troubles so missing out on a deal for Messi would likely free up considerable salary space for other targets, like Cancelo and Gundogan.
The former spent the second half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan in the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich after the Portuguese international fell out with City boss Pep Guardiola. The talented fullback has since been linked with both the north Londoners and the Catalan giants as recent reports suggest he has no future at the Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, Gundogan is into the final four weeks of his contract with Guardiola's side, meaning he is available on a free transfer at the end of the month if he doesn't agree on fresh terms with the Citizens before then. Some reports over the weekend had suggested the German midfielder was set to pen a new deal in Manchester but the player's agent quickly shut those down.
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“Nothing has been agreed with City or any other club”, his agent Ilhan told transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on rumours of a new deal having been agreed. "The recent reports are not true. Ilkay is only focused on the (Champions League) final."
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