The strangest figure in history: 500 million for Messi in 2012!

In the summer of 2012, an official delegation from Inter Miami arrived in Barcelona to negotiate with Lionel Messi about arranging his move to MLS, but the story ended before it even began.

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Inter Miami tried to sign Messi in 2012

Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti revealed that his club was among the first to attempt to sign Lionel Messi back in 2012. In comments reported by *Sport*, Moratti disclosed that he had sent his deputy to Barcelona to meet with Messi and present an offer; however, the Argentine refused to even listen to the details, as he had decided to finish his career at Barcelona.

I did something crazy in 2012. I made Messi an offer worth €500 million. At that time, that figure was crazy, and I sent Inter’s vice-president to Barcelona to negotiate. But Messi didn’t even open the letter and didn’t know the value of the offer. He rejected it without knowing the details. Then Messi personally contacted me and told me: ‘I appreciate your interest in me, but I want to retire at Barcelona.’ Those were his simple words. He wanted to stay at Barcelona. I knew the situation, but I tried to tempt him with money, and it didn’t work

Moratti said.

Messi's unfulfilled dream

Messi rejected an offer from Inter Miami in 2012, intending to remain at Barcelona for his entire career—just as he had begun his professional journey there. However, that dream did not come to pass; in 2021, following financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 crisis, Barcelona was unable to register Messi's new contract. Consequently, his story with the club of his life came to an end, and he moved to Paris Saint-Germain, followed by a transfer to Inter Miami, where he currently plays.

Hazem Mlhem |

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Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

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