Cesc Fàbregas knew exactly what he was doing when he was asked about the prospect of signing Lionel Messi for Como 1907. “Never say never,” he grinned.
Messi was spotted in Como over the weekend, sparking a splurge of speculative transfer tittle-tattle linking the 38-year-old with a move to Serie A. Inter Miami’s skipper already has one former Barcelona teammate for a manager and the prospect of swapping Javier Mascherano for another Camp Nou alumni was brought to Fàbregas’s attention this week.
“The squad is 90% complete,” the retired Spanish midfielder teased. “The club has worked very well and has been quick. There are still a few things missing, but I’m happy.”
Como finished an impressive 10th last season and have deliberately pursued every celebrity connection which their luxury location affords them. The tantalizing potential of Messi lining up in front of a crowd which has included Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch was not exclusively ruled out by Fàbregas.
“Messi at Como?” he asked himself. “Never say never. He was at my house on vacation, he was traveling to see some friends, and we are friends, our wives and our children too. But he’s in the United States now.”
After Como’s friendly against Lille on Friday, Messi’s two sons Ciro and Mateo joined Fàbregas’s kid, Leonardo, on the Sinigaglia Stadium’s pitch for spontaneous kick-about.
While the prospect of a move to Serie A is anything but concrete—Messi’s children may very well be the only members of the family to ever score a goal on the shores of Lake Como—the Argentine icon’s future is the subject of very real debate.
Messi’s Inter Miami deal expires in December. The club have openly expressed their confidence that the talisman will remain in South Beach for the 2026 World Cup and the opening of a new stadium but no agreement has been reached just yet. The imminent arrival of Messi’s close compatriot Rodrigo De Paul could be viewed as an attempt to placate the veteran.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Messi Receives Three-Word Transfer Message from Former Teammate.