Inter Milan is ready to make big moves and they're putting their wallet where their mouth is. The Italian powerhouse could reportedly offer Barcelona star Lionel Messi a whopping €260 million to leave Camp Nou for the grounds of San Siro, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Nerazzurri are willing to offer €260 million offer over four years, a contract that would see the Barcelona captain earn a robust €50 million per year.
Inter Milan has been the club linked the closest to Messi, whose contract expires in 2021. The move would mirror that of longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Real Madrid for Italian champion Juventus last year.
Lionel Messi's move to Serie A would awaken a dormant rivalry, one that would likely be there to stay for the rest of their careers.
Inter Milan's gaudy offer as a free transfer would see Messi outearn Ronaldo by a considerable amount, as Ronaldo is pulling in roughly €31 million at Juventus.
Not long ago, PPTV, a Chinese-owned video streaming website that owns Inter Milan, placed the silhouette of Lionel Messi's point-to-sky goal celebration hovering on Milan's Duomo to promote a matchup between Inter and Napoli.
#CM |
Chinese-owned PPTV that owns Inter Milan placed Messi's image on Milan's cathedral to promote Inter vs Napoli.The King of Italy 🇮🇹🐐 pic.twitter.com/JHtHY8usaV
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) July 28, 2020
Speaking of the Duomo, Inter's CEO Giuseppe Marotta denied having anything to do with the advertisement:
“Messi on the cathedral? It wasn't my idea,” Marotta told Sky Sports Italia. “It reminds me of football from the past with such situations. We are talking about an icon, a great player, a desire that everyone has.
“It's fantasy football, a utopian situation.”
Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte put even more distance between the rumors and the truth:
“It’s much easier to move the Duomo than to bring Messi to Inter,” Conti told Sky Sports Italia. “To buy Messi or buy four €50m players? I think both solutions are impossible, right now I keep all the players who are giving me a lot of satisfaction and giving their all. Then at the end of the season we will evaluate.”
Oddly enough, Conte landed exactly on the number it would take to get the Barcelona lifer to San Siro — a heavy €50 million per year. The Italian powerhouse could use that money for better ends meanwhile after falling short of the title this season and aspiring for a better finish sooner rather than later.
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