According to media reports, Sergio Busquets will be joining Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, confirming his move to the MLS franchise. While Messi’s official signing with Inter Miami is yet to be announced, he has expressed his intention to play for David Beckham’s team after his two-season stint with PSG.
Busquets, who is also a free agent with his contract at Barcelona’s Camp Nou set to end in June, will be reunited with his former Barcelona teammate at DRV PNK Stadium.
Toni Juanmarti, a Spanish journalist, has outlined the details of the deal, indicating that Miami had to improve their offer to persuade Busquets to join Messi. An official announcement of Busquets’ move to MLS is expected in the next few hours.
As per the terms of the deal, the experienced defensive midfielder will sign a contract until 2025 and will be a franchise player. It is likely that Messi will sign a similar contract.
Busquets’ transfer to Inter Miami is a clear indication of the franchise’s desire to improve their competitiveness in MLS. Currently, they are in last place in the Eastern Conference having suffered 12 defeats out of 17 games.
Messi and Busquets will face a significant challenge in their bid to qualify for the playoffs, with their team currently seven points behind the leaders at the halfway point of the season.
Busquets, like Messi, had received offers from the Saudi Pro League, but he has chosen to join his former Barcelona teammate in the United States.
MLS faces tough competition from the emerging league in the Gulf, with the Pro League targeting players who would have previously been tempted to switch to America. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have already joined Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad respectively, while three Chelsea stars are reportedly set to move to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Ruben Neves could complete a sensational €55m transfer to the Pre League.