Just how much of an influence does Lionel Messi have over Inter Miami's plans for the transfer market? Apparently, quite a lot. This is evidenced by the recent signing of his close friend and former FC Barcelona teammate, Luis Suarez. Now, it is being reported that he has set his sights on a former Manchester United player.
According to the latest reports, Messi is urging David Beckham and the rest of Inter Miami's higher-ups to seriously consider signing Boca Juniors defender, Marcos Rojo. He is best known for his stint with the Red Devils from 2014-2021, but he currently captains the Argentinian side.
Even though Messi is not technically part of club management at Inter Miami, it is clear that the team's owners give much weight on his opinions. After all, he has led the club's transformation which gave them their first piece of silverware. Just weeks after joining the club in the summer, Messi led the team to victory in the Leagues Cup.
According to Marca, the information about Messi's desire to recruit Rojo was revealed by journalists Hernan Castillo and Augusto Cesar. Messi will be playing his first full season with the Fort Lauderdale side in 2024, and they are determined to start the year with guns blazing.
Why is Messi allegedly interested in Marcos Rojo
Messi has so far been keen on linking up with players with whom he has enjoyed great success in the past. Apart from Suarez, he was also joined by the former Barcelona pair of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba when he signed for Inter Miami this summer.
Rojo meanwhile, never played alongside Messi on the club level. However, he has been called up for international duty with the Argentina national team. He's been capped a total of 61 times for Argentina, meaning he and Messi know each other very well. However, Rojo has not been called up since 2019. This means that he has unfortunately missed out on their recent victories in the Copa America in 2021 and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Nevertheless, it is being claimed that Messi believes he could be an asset to the Inter Miami squad.
Rojo joined legendary Argentinian side Boca Juniors in January 2021, and has subsequently been named captain. Prior to that, he spent seven years in the Premier League with Manchester United from 2017-2021, which was interrupted by a loan spell with Estudiantes in 2020.
While with the Red Devils, Rojo was mostly under the radar and in the shadows of much bigger stars in the team. He managed to make 95 appearances in his first three seasons at Old Trafford, but he suddenly fell down the pecking order in the second half of his stint with the club. In his final four seasons with Manchester United, he managed to make only 27 appearances.
This can perhaps be blamed on how he gained a reputation as an aggressive defender, with some questionable tackles under his name. Nevertheless, by the time he left England, he had managed to lift four trophies with Manchester United namely the FA Cup, FA Community Shield, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League.
By being awarded the captaincy at Boca Juniors, Rojo has proven that he is still a high calibre player. It is understood that he is currently on winter break, but is already expected to return to pre-season training with Boca in Buenos Aires by January 2. The club is a constant contender for the Primera Division in Argentina, and they are also aiming for the Copa Sudamericana.
It is unclear if Inter Miami has already opened talks with Rojo, but it is clear that there is a lot of noise surrounding the potential transfer. Apart from the Major League Soccer side, it has been reported that Brazilian club Palmeiras is also interested in signing Rojo.
The MLS season won't start until late February, and it remains to be seen if Messi's transfer request will be granted.
