A deal to bring Lionel Messi to the MLS will go down as the most sensational coup in the league's history since David Beckham's arrival in 2007.
The race to sign the Argentinian icon is now over as clubs from across the globe looked to snare the departing Paris Saint-Germain star. For a while, it had looked as though the World Cup winner would be joining old foe Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, with the forward ace even having been pictured in the Gulf State back in April.
The superstar was subsequently fined by PSG for the unauthorised two-day escapade, with his pay also docked during an internal two-week suspension. In the interim period between then and now, it has emerged that the 35-year-old has been offered a contract worth a staggering £345million ($429m) per year to join Al Hilal, according to the Athletic.
However, the saga surrounding Messi's future has reached a very different conclusion to the one envisaged by the powers-that-be at the Saudi Pro League outfit. And so instead of heading to the Middle East or former club Barcelona - where he spent 17 years of his career - Messi is now moving to America to join David Beckham's MLS franchise Inter Miami.
It has been something of a tumultuous week for the South Beach club, with Phil Neville having been dismissed as coach after a poor run of form. However, Messi has been attracted by a wider package on offer to him, mirroring the deal which brought Beckham to LA Galaxy some 16 years ago.
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As per the report in the Athletic, the Argentinian living legend could be offered the chance to purchase a stake in an MLS team upon the conclusion of his playing contract. One may recall that a clause in Beckham's contract upon his arrival stateside back in 2007 allowed him to buy an MLS expansion team for $25 million — this becoming Inter Miami.
On top of this, it is clear that any prospective deal could well be lucrative for Messi due to the potential involvement of major corporate organisations such as Apple and Adidas in the transfer. Both of these companies are commercial partners with the MLS, with both having signed agreements with the league this year worth $2.5bn (£2.01bn) and $830m (£667m), respectively.
In the case of Apple, the technology giants have discussed offering Messi of 'any revenue generated through by new subscribers to the MLS Season Pass', which is the league's streaming service on Apple TV+. In addition, Messi could well also bag himself a 'cut of any increase in Adidas’ profits resulting from his involvement in MLS'.
Beckham's deal was slightly different, as he was lured to LA Galaxy with a cut of all club revenue - meaning he made $18million (£14.4m) over his time at the club from everything from merchandise and tickets to sponsorships and food sold at games. At the same time, he made huge money as a commercial draw himself, on top of his $6.5million-per-year salary.
He also ramped up the commercial pull of the league as the MLS secured its first TV rights deal, ultimately paving the way for the current Apple TV+ agreement and the levers he is now using to tempt Messi to America.
