Report: Lionel Messi Expected to Sign Inter Miami Contract amid PSG, Barcelona Rumors

Major League Soccer's Inter Miami has emerged as the front-runner to sign superstar Lionel Messi when his PSG contract expires in the summer of 2023, according to a report from The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Per Ornstein, signing with the MLS club is the "most advanced" of Messi's potential options, "to the extent that the Major League Soccer franchise now expect Messi to arrive and hope he will sign in the coming months. Discussions between the two parties have been going on for a couple of years and there is increasing confidence that the proposed transfer will materialise."

Ornstein also noted that PSG will "push hard" to sign Messi to a contract extension, while a return to his first club, Barcelona, is also a possibility.

But Inter Miami may have the inside track. As Ornstein reported, the city of Miami remains a "source of attraction for Messi's family, who already own a property there. Miami's community links with South America are strong, too."

Attracting arguably the greatest player who ever lived to MLS would be a huge coup for the American league, which has attracted major stars in the past like Zlatan Ibrahimović, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney, among others, but always late in their careers. The cliche has been that football stars go to MLS for one last big payday.

Messi would be in a similar situation, though he continues to play at an incredible level with seven goals and 10 assists through 12 Ligue 1 appearances this season.

Going from PSG's wealth of talent to Inter Miami would be an enormous adjustment. There is no comparison to superstars like Kylian Mbappé or Neymar in MLS.

But there have also been rumors that Messi may take an ownership stake in Inter Miami upon joining the club, though his agent denied them in May.

Regardless, it's a situation worth monitoring. Landing the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner would be an enormous moment for both Inter Miami and MLS in general and a major blow for European powers like PSG and Barcelona. It promises to be a fascinating storyline heading into the summer.