Ex-Premier League superstar linked with move to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami: Reports
According to a recent report, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami could welcome another one of the Argentinian's former teammates, in the form of Philippe Coutinho. The former Barcelona playmaker is currently plying his trades for Qatari outfit Al Duhail. He has attracted substantial interest from the MLS, with LA Galaxy also keeping close tabs on him.
Ever since the arrival of Lionel Messi last summer, Inter Miami have seen a huge boost in their popularity. This has enabled them to sign multiple superstars of European football. In the past eight months, the Herons have secured all-time greats such as Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and, most recently, Luis Suarez.
In a recent report released by Diario AS, former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has also been linked to a transfer to the United States. At the time of writing, the Brazil international is stationed at Al Duhali, on loan from Premier League giants Aston Villa.
Coutinho also addressed speculations about his future in a recent interview but failed to provide a concrete answer on his plans. Speaking to Spanish news outlet SPORT, the 31-year-old said (via Sport Bible),
"I only think about the moment. I want to be well, prepare well, play good games, enjoy football. We never know what will happen in the future."
Despite his impressive exploits in the Premier League, Coutinho has relatively failed to do justice to his potential ever since his transfer to Barcelona. He joined Barca from Liverpool for a whopping initial fee of £105 million in 2018 and registered 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 games.
Shortly after, he experienced a trophy-laden loan spell at Bayern Munich that saw him win the European treble in 2020. The Brazilian was ousted from Camp Nou to Aston Villa in 2022.
Coutinho once again failed to find his stride, securing just six goals and three assists in 43 appearances with the Villans. Consequently, the Rio de Janeiro-born footballer now finds himself on the radar of MLS clubs. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and LA Galaxy emerging as the most interested parties, as per AS.
Lionel Messi smashes another social media record
Apart from his legendary exploits on the field, Lionel Messi has also established a legacy on the online front due to his ever-growing fanbase. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner recently became only the second individual in history to garner half a billion followers on Instagram.
La Pulga also holds the record of having posted the most-liked photo on the renowned social media platform. His carousel, showcasing pictures of him celebrating the 2022 World Cup win along with his teammates, stands tall in this regard, gaining over 75.5m likes to date.
The Barcelona legend still trails his fiercest on-field rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, when it comes to total followers on Instagram. The Portuguese superstar currently boasts of a mind-boggling follower count of 622m, making him the most followed individual on the platform.