Lionel Messi may have only joined Paris Saint-Germain six months ago, but the Argentine superstar could soon be heading back across the Atlantic for a career swansong.
The 34-year-old has been linked with a transfer to David Beckham 's American franchise club, Inter Miami, and while there is still plenty of work left to be done on a deal, the fact Messi already owns a stateside residence can only be a plus.
Although his current contract keeps him in Paris until 2023, the former Barcelona ace purchased a swanky apartment worth £7.25million last year, as reported by Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
The pad, not to be confused with the £5.7m penthouse that he recently put up for sale, is part of the luxury Porsche Design Tower which sits on the Sunny Isles beachfront of Miami.
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And the views on the inside rivals its surroundings, even boasting three car lifts which allow residents to park their vehicle on the same floor as their suite - no surprise given that the tower is named after the German supercar manufacturer.
It is added that Messi would like his three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, to go to school in the United States, meaning they would become fluent in English.
Inter are "optimistic" about bringing the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to Major League Soccer in the near future and have already signed multiple European stars in their short history.
Gonzalo Higuain - an Argentina teammate of Messi's - and Blaise Matuidi joined Beckham's club in 2020 and Olivier Giroud was reportedly offered an apartment in the Porsche Design Tower in a bid to tempt him to Miami, but he ultimately decided on a switch to AC Milan instead.
Having finished 11th in the Eastern Conference last season, Mirror Football exclusively revealed that Beckham has long been in talks with fellow club chiefs regarding an ambitious move for the PSG forward, hoping to make him their first true megastar purchase.
And now Inter's co-owner, Jorge Mas, has confirmed their interest by telling the Miami Herald : "Leo Messi is still one of the best players in the world, his skills have not diminished.
"I think, and David has a relationship with him, if he does leave PSG, at the time he leaves it, we'd love to see him be a player at Inter Miami and be part of our community.
"Can it happen? Look, we'll push. I'm an optimist at heart. Could I see that happening? It’s a possibility."
Beckham was then pressed on the possible swoop and while agreeing with Mas' verdict, was more keen to focus on success over stardom.
"I've always said I want the best players in our club and playing in our shirt because there's a certain expectation," the Manchester United legend, who founded the MLS outfit four years ago, explained.
"Unfortunately, sometimes it can be a bad thing. But most of the time it's a good thing.
"When I first started this project, people were saying 'This guy is coming, that guy is coming, [Cristiano] Ronaldo is coming, Messi's coming'. At the end of the day, we need to win, whether it's with the young kids or stars.
"Our fans will be happy if we have stars on the team, but they'll be even happier if they're seeing young players coming through our academy and lifting the MLS Cup."
So, what does the man himself think?
Speaking to Spanish TV station La Sexta back in 2020, Messi - then still playing his football for Barcelona - revealed: "My plan is to give all I can for the club at the moment.
"I would like to play in the United States and experience life and the league there, but ultimately come back to Barcelona in some capacity.
"I'm not thinking too far ahead in the short-term and just want to see how the season finishes."
As demonstrated by his shock departure from the Camp Nou last summer, a lot can change in a short space of time in football.
But piecing the puzzle together at this early stage, all signs point to Messi linking up with Beckham in 2023.
