With Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami recently, his close friend and departing Barcelona captain Jordi Alba is now getting closer to a reunion with the Argentine at the MLS club, reports Mundo Deportivo’s Ferran Martinez.
Alba confirmed his decision to leave Barcelona last month even though he still had a year left on his contract. The 34-year-old’s exit helps the Catalan giants with their Financial Fair Play situation as he was set to earn in excess of €30 million next season.
With Alba announcing his departure from Barça a while ago, there has been no update on his next destination as of yet. The left-back had insisted that he would take a decision after Spain’s fixtures in the UEFA Nations League.
Alba has offers from clubs like Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid while teams in Saudi Arabia are also interested, apart from Inter Miami.
However, as things stand, talks with the MLS franchise, owned by David Beckham, are advancing positively, with the Spanish international getting closer to a move to Florida this summer.
Of the three marquee player spots that Inter Miami have, Messi occupies one, Josef Martinez takes up the other and the third spot is being reserved for Sergio Busquets.
As such, Alba would be a TAM (Targeted Allocation Money) player at the club, a level right below the marquee players, but with a salary limit of about $2 million per year.
Hence, work is being done to secure an additional source of income for the Spain captain, either through sponsorship or a potential ambassadorial role for the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be joint-hosted by the USA.
Alba’s decision will not only be based on the sporting project or the financial aspect as he is set to become a father soon. So, his family’s well-being will also weigh in hugely when the veteran takes a call on his future.
While a final decision is yet to be arrived at, all signs seem to be pointing towards a reunion with Messi at Inter Miami.