Lionel Messi was frequently linked with a move to Manchester City, but the Barcelona legend seemingly had more of a soft spot for Manchester United
Lionel Messi was more fond of the history of Manchester United rather than the millions at Manchester City.
Messi, 37, is currently strutting his stuff for Inter Miami, having been convinced to move to Florida by club owner and United legend David Beckham. The ex-England captain’s former club may have wished he was still at Old Trafford to sway Messi to United.
On many occasions, there were rumours that Messi was intrigued by the idea of moving to the Premier League. Due to their huge financial power, the likes of City and Chelsea were the ones linked with his signature the vast majority of the time.
Had United made a significant effort to bring Messi to Old Trafford, they could have been successful, as the World Cup winner was reportedly fond of the club.
According to the Athletic, Messi was reportedly “more charmed” by “historic English clubs such as Manchester United”. It was not the only time Messi was briefly linked with the red side of Manchester.
When he was 20 years old, Sir Alex Ferguson was believed to have been interested in a move for Messi. Not long after the interest was made known, Messi told FourFourTwo magazine: “I’m happy in Barcelona. Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve realised my dream. It’s the best club in the world with the best players. My family are happy here; they like it.”
Messi would go on to cut United down in not one but two Champions League finals. The small and nimble forward scored a towering header in the 2009 final in Rome, before going on to drive a low, 20-yard finish past Edwin van der Sar at Wembley Stadium two years later.
The forward established himself as one of the game’s greatest at Barcelona, contributing 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances. His time at the Nou Camp ended when he departed the club on a free transfer to join Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021.
After two years, Messi joined Beckham’s franchise, where he has contributed a jaw-dropping 34 goals and 18 assists in 39 appearances. He was named the 2023/24 MLS MVP at the end of his first season at the club.
While Ferguson was not able to bring him to United, the Scot did manage to help Beckham convince the Argentine to snub moves from Saudi Arabia to join the MLS. Speaking on the Jimmy Fallon show, Beckham said: “One of the things I learned from Alex Ferguson…he turned around to me and said: ‘Whoever you bring in, they have to be the right fit for the club.
“It’s not about the biggest name or personality, it’s about who fits in best with the players’. That’s what we’ll do. But, like I said, as an owner if you want to bring these players in then we have a great opportunity.” Messi is also playing alongside former Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets at the Chase Stadium.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community __and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our _Privacy Notice.
Learn more
