Inter Miami chief Chris Henderson has refused to be drawn on speculation linking Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi with a potential switch to the MLS.
The legendary 35-year-old faces an uncertain future at the Parc des Princes as his current contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
Inter Miami owner David Beckham is keen to lure the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to the USA, and one recent report claims that they are confident of winning the race for his signature.
However, the Herons allegedly face competition from Messi's former club Barcelona as well as Premier League duo Manchester City and Chelsea.
Henderson has now spoken out on the recent rumours linking Inter Miami with a move for Messi, but has refused to provide a clear indication as to whether the MLS club are in the race for his signature.
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"I knew Messi would come up!" Henderson told reporters. "It's great to be connected with amazing players. I don't want to comment on someone who's not on our roster."
At the backend of September, Messi was part of the Argentina squad that trained and played in Miami during the international break, with the PSG forward scoring a brace in a 3-0 friendly win over Honduras.
Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville has admitted that it was "special" to watch Messi and his teammates train at the club, but like Henderson, he refused to comment on transfer speculation.
"We actually let him inside our house about five, six weeks ago, when Argentina were here, Neville told reporters via the Daily Mail. "I watched all the sessions to see those great players on our pitch. It was something really special for the club.
"And I think when you talk about characters, when you talk about humility, when you talk about the right type of people, that Argentinian squad and staff were absolutely incredible. Incredible towards our football club."
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Asked about speculation linking Messi with Inter Miami, Neville added: "I think that's hypothetical really. The best player in the world, I'm looking forward to seeing him play at the World Cup, alongside other great players.
"I'm not going to speculate on any kind of transfer activity, but what I would say is that is exactly the type of character that I saw in that week, that those Argentinian players were a credit to their country, and to their profession."
The prospect of Messi remaining at PSG beyond next summer is thought to still be a possibility, and one report states that the forward has already opened contract talks with the Ligue 1 champions.
Messi endured a slow start to life in the French capital after joining the club in the summer of 2021, but he has since found his feet and has been a standout performer this season, recording 12 goals and 14 assists in 18 games across all competitions.
The 164-cap Argentina international has one final fixture with PSG – a Ligue 1 home clash against Auxerre on Saturday – before he can prepare for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Oliver Thomas
