Report: Messi won't go out on loan after MLS season
Published
Don't look for Lionel Messi to be playing elsewhere this winter.
Spanish football journalist and Messi biographer Guillem Balague says the 36-year-old World Cup winner does not intend to go out on loan at the conclusion of Inter Miami's season.
Inter was officially eliminated from playoff contention with their 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati on Saturday night. The Herons have two matches remaining in their regular season schedule, a home-and-home with Charlotte concluding on Oct. 21. Messi has been limited to just 72 minutes of action since the beginning of last month, dealing with a hamstring issue.
Balague says Messi intends to take a monthlong holiday following Argentina's key World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay in mid-November. He will then return to Inter in time for training camp ahead of the new season set to begin in February.
There had been reports that former club Barcelona and teams in Saudi Arabia had been interested in securing a loan deal for Messi.
For his part, current Inter and former Barca boss Tata Martino claimed to know nothing of any such rumours.
"That's surprising," Martino said after Saturday's loss. "I know nothing about that. If you're telling me that he's going to go visit Barcelona on vacation, yes, it's probable, but I don't have any information on the other part."
Messi has 11 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions for Inter since joining the squad in July on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. He has one goal in five league matches.