David Beckham's Inter Miami leading the race to secure signature of Lionel Messi

<p>Lionel Messi is reportedly on the verge of signing a mega-money deal to join Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami.</p>

<p>The 35-year-old Argentina star had been strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, a league which already features Cristiano Ronaldo and now Karim Benzema, with Messi's two-year contract at Paris St Germain coming to an end this month.</p>

<p>However, it is understood a move to the Middle East is now no longer on the cards, placing Inter Miami in pole position for Messi.</p>

<p>The MLS side are co-owned by former England captain David Beckham and were founded in 2018, playing their first season two years later.</p>

<p>Miami recently sacked Beckham's former Manchester United and England team-mate Phil Neville as coach and are currently bottom of the 15-team Eastern Conference, but they remain a fiercely ambitious club.</p>

<p>The Florida side have pulled out all the stops to sign Messi, tying up with various MLS partners like Apple.</p>

<p>A deal in principle has now reportedly been agreed that will see Messi head to the United States after PSG confirmed last week he would be leaving.</p>

<p>Messi was reportedly being offered a deal worth 400m euros per year to move to Saudi Arabia.</p>

<p>He is also an ambassador for the Gulf kingdom's tourist authority, and was handed a two-week suspension by PSG early last month for taking an unauthorised trip there.</p>

<p>The article <a href="https://www.planetsport.com/soccer/news/david-beckhams-inter-miami-leading-race-secure-signature-lionel-messi">David Beckham's Inter Miami leading the race to secure signature of Lionel Messi </a> appeared first on Planetsport.com.</p>