Barcelona legend in active negotiations to join Lionel Messi's new club Inter Miami - Reports
Barcelona veteran Jordi Alba is currently in active negotiations with Lionel Messi's new club Inter Miami in the MLS, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Spain international has mutually terminated his contract with the Blaugrana and will leave the club on a free transfer this summer.
According to Ramano, there are multiple interested parties looking to sign Jordi Alba in the summer transfer window. These include Inter Miami and two clubs competing in the Saudi Pro League.
Alba, however, has not made any decisions on his immediate future despite being in negotiations with Inter Miami. The 34-year-old full-back is expected to make his decision in the coming weeks. According to the aforementioned source, Jordi Alba joining the MLS outfit is a very real possibility at the moment.
Signing for Inter Miami and once again playing alongside Lionel Messi could be a huge incentive as far as Jordi Alba is concerned. There were reports suggesting that Alba was prepared to stay at Barcelona for at least another season if Messi made a choice to return to the Nou Camp.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, however, decided to move to Inter Miami at the end of his two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Messi did want to return to the Catalan giants. But the move did not materialize as he did not want Barca players to lower their salaries or leave the club to accommodate him. He also didn't want a repeat of the financial situation that made him leave the club in 2021.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Jordi Alba still had a decent season for Barcelona. The full-back won the La Liga title for a sixth time in the recently concluded 2022-23 season. He made 30 appearances and contributed two goals and six assists across all competitions.
Jordi Alba and Messi had a great time together at Barcelona before the Argentina star left the club on a free transfer in 2021. The pair played a total of 345 games together in the claret and blue shirt and had 34 joint goal contributions between them. Lionel Messi assisted Alba on 10 occasions while the Spaniard assisted 24 times during their time together.
Lionel Messi and Alba won numerous trophies together with the Catalan outfit. They won five La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey, and a UEFA Champions League title. They were part of the squad which won the treble in 2015 under the management of Luis Enrique.
Another of Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammate is linked with a move to Inter Miami
Apart from Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, another teammate of Lionel Messi at Barcelona, is currently linked with a move to Inter Miami, according to the Daily Mail.
Sergio Busquets will also leave the Nou Camp on a free transfer after 15 years at the end of his current contract. According to the aforementioned source, both Lionel Messi and Busquets have an unwritten pact that they will play at least one more season together before their eventual retirement.
Similar to Alba, Sergio Busquets also has lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia on the table. The Barcelona legend is also expected to make his decision very soon.