Laporta claims Messi deal with Barca agreed as Argentine arrive Miami for unveiling

Barcelona president Joan Laporta's second spell in charge of the club has been fraught with difficulty, despite the fact that on the pitch he has somewhat overseen a positive transformation of the club.

Gone are the dismal days of the 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich, with Robert Lewandowski and Xavi guiding the club to a La Liga title in 2022/23, however, the club's financial issues remain severe.

Laporta, it would be fair to say, has stopped the bleeding, but the patient remains on the operating table, and one of the consequences of this open-heart surgery the president has been forced to perform has been the initial loss of Lionel Messi, and the subsequent failure to re-sign him as a free agent this summer.

Messi has agreed to sign for MLS side Inter Miami after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired, but Laporta maintains it was not Barcelona's choice not to sign him, but rather the player's decision not to rejoin Los Cules.

"We agreed, but everything has its time and sometimes the rhythms are different," Laporta told Catalan media.

"The contract was agreed upon, but when LaLiga gave us the authorization, Messi's father told me that Leo had had two difficult years in Paris, that he had suffered a lot and now he wanted to play in a league with less pressure.

"I told him it was perfectly understandable."

Despite the obvious disappointment amongst fans that Messi didn't return, Laporta is of the view that he has vastly improved the health of the club.

"He is out of hospital and we are adapting to normal life," he commented.

"The club is better than it was two years ago. The magnitude of the drama was enormous. The joy has returned to Barcelona and now we are winning again.

"It's a cautious joy, but we're on the right track."

Ousmane Dembele was seen as one of the foremost examples of the financial issues Barcelona made for themselves, yet the Frenchman has stayed with the club and turned his fortunes and fitness around.

 

"Dembele is a player who is very dear to the coach, the technical department, and to me. I'm a big fan," he added.

"He has representatives who are difficult when it comes to negotiating. I respect his position but we are at the last minute.

"Now we are in negotiations to keep him and we hope it will be resolved but I am of the opinion that it will run until the end [of the transfer window].

After winning La Liga and securing qualification into the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League, Laporta was buoyed by the governing body's decision not to exclude them from the competition.

Many thought the club would be banned due to the 'Negreira case', but at the end of June UEFA declared that they couldn't recommend that the Catalan giants be punished in such a way.

 

This brought a bullish response from Laporta, who has long maintained Los Cules' innocence, although he did speak openly on the subject on Tuesday.

"If there is something, let it be investigated to the end, but these are other issues, not refereeing corruption," he concluded.

"We are sure that Barcelona will come out unscathed because there is nothing. I told Ceferin and he understood. That's how it was, the investigators concluded that there should be no sanction.

"I am convinced that the 'Negreira case' will come to nothing."

Meanwhile, Messi has finally arrived at Fort Lauderdale Airport as he gears up to finalize his transfer to Inter Miami. The 36-year-old recently enjoyed a relaxing vacation in the Bahamas with his loved ones after bidding farewell to Paris Saint-Germain at the conclusion of the previous season. With his two-year contract with the Ligue 1 side expiring, Messi made headlines in early June when he announced his decision to move to Major League Soccer (MLS).

Inter Miami, the ambitious MLS franchise, has set its sights on Messi's debut coinciding with their first match in the Leagues Cup. This new tournament features every team from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX and is scheduled to commence on July 21, with Inter Miami facing off against Cruz Azul. The anticipation surrounding Messi's introduction to the team is palpable, and fans eagerly await his presence on the pitch.

Reports from The Athletic suggest that Inter Miami is planning a grand unveiling of the Argentine superstar, potentially broadcasting it during halftime of the Gold Cup final this Sunday. Negotiations are underway between Major League Soccer, CONCACAF, Fox, and Univision to arrange the broadcast and showcase a portion of the much-anticipated presentation. Sources with knowledge of the plans, speaking on condition of anonymity, have shared these exciting developments, aiming to protect the delicate relationships involved.

Messi's decision shakes MLS as Inter Miami paves the way for the future of the sport in the US.