Which 2 Premier League clubs made offers for Lionel Messi? Catalan newspaper makes speculative claim as Argentine confirms Inter Miami move
Inter Miami-bound Lionel Messi received offers to join Chelsea and Newcastle United in the Premier League before choosing to join the MLS side, according to Catalan newspaper El Nacional.
Lionel Messi confirmed in an interview with Sport and Mundo Deportivo yesterday (June 7) that he would join Inter Miami this summer. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires on June 30, following which, he will be able to join David Beckham's side as a free agent.
Negotiations on the 35-year-old's future were led by his father and agent, Jorge Messi. Lionel Messi said that his primary choice was a return to Barcelona, however, a final deal didn't materialize due to a number of reasons, including the Blaugrana's financial issues.
Before the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner pledged his future to Inter Miami, he reportedly received two "tempting" offers from the Premier League to remain in Europe. While the names of the clubs haven't been officially disclosed, the El Nacional report states it's likely to be Chelsea and Newcastle.
Chelsea have struggled this season in the Premier League, finishing 12th with 44 points. One thing they have no shortage of is funds, as Todd Boehly spent over $600 million on transfers in an attempt to get the Blues back to winning ways.
Newcastle United qualified for the UEFA Champions League by finishing fourth in the Premier League. They are owned by the Saudi Arabian PIF and would be able to afford Lionel Messi as well.
Lionel Messi reveals why he snubbed offer from European club to join Inter Miami
Lionel Messi confirmed he had an offer to remain in Europe from an unnamed club before he decided to join MLS side Inter Miami. However, he snubbed it as he was only looking to join Barcelona in Europe.
In an interview with SPORT and Mundo Deportivo, Messi said:
"Yes, leaving Europe. The truth is that I had offers from another European team, but I didn't even evaluate it because in Europe my idea was only to go to Barcelona."
He then explained why he chose to join Inter Miami:
"After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the American league to experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day. Obviously with the same responsibility and the same desire to want to win and to always do things well. But with more peace of mind."
After two difficult seasons at PSG and facing a lot of criticism from the Les Parisiens fanbase, it makes sense why the Argentine ace decided to leave Europe.
Lionel Messi would have only felt at home with Barcelona, the club where he established himself as one of the greatest players ever during his 16 years there. He scored a total of 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 appearances for the Catalan club, winning 34 major trophies.