Inter Miami Line Up Lionel Messi Favorite As ‘Main Target’ | OneFootball

Inter Miami have reportedly opened discussions with Atlético Madrid regarding a move for their Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul.

The combative World Cup winner has spent the past four years quietly impressing in the Spanish capital, catching the eye with his relentless approach off the ball which disguises a certain subtlety in possession. Alongside his success under Diego Simeone, De Paul has emerged as a key figure during Lionel Scaloni’s trophy-laden reign at Argentina.

A fixture of the sides which have won three consecutive international titles—a pair of Copas América on either side of the 2022 World Cup—De Paul forged a strong bond with Messi on and off the pitch.

The two close friends could be reunited in Miami this summer. Fabrizio Romano claims that the divisive MLS franchise have “started talks” over a transfer and value De Paul as the “main target” of a summer window which runs between July 24 and August 21.

Romano reports that De Paul is “open” to a move, although nothing has yet been agreed for a 31-year-old who will be out of contract in June 2026.

Messi and De Paul could reunite at club level. / IMAGO/NurPhoto

De Paul has done little to disguise his admiration of Messi, although questions his role as the diminutive forward’s so-called bodyguard. “[Messi] is the one who takes care of me; he’d come down [and] tell me ‘come here,’ ‘get like this,’ it’s the opposite,” he has explained to Olé in the past. “I’m around because I love him... we talk a lot. He shows me affection all the time. [I] was [at] his gala and he told me ‘And, how are you, are your legs better? Friend, I’m better now.’ Nothing, it’s incredible.

“I love spending time with him, we have a lot of fun with all the kids, but hey, we have a beautiful group. We, with the things that go viral, are kind of idiots. We commend each other; we laugh. We have a small group or things that we are seeing that happened in the World Cup.”

Earlier this year, De Paul told assembled media: “He [Messi] makes you see him as normal, but when you walk out of the tunnel and see rivals turning around just to look at him, it fills your chest with pride.”

Inter Miami are openly on the lookout for “another star player” while negotiations over extending Messi’s stay continue. The side which was hopelessly exposed by Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup knockout stages reportedly held discussions with the representatives of Luka Modrić, Kevin De Bruyne and Neymar Jr. this summer regarding potential arrivals, only for each move to fizzle out.

Unlike the aforementioned trio, De Paul offers a level of composed physicality that is sorely lacking from Inter Miami’s current midfield setup, which is currently a jangly medley of incompetent youth and aging competence.

Whether Miami have the necessary finances to fund a move for De Paul remains to be seen, but his arrival will surely have Messi’s backing.