Inter Miami Swoops In to Steal Messi's Former Teammate From Bitter Rivals
Antoine Griezmann has been consistently connected to a potential Major League Soccer transfer, with Orlando City emerging as the clear frontrunner to secure the French star in recent months. However, new reports indicate that Inter Miami is ready to make a bold move to steal the deal from their fierce Florida competitors.
L'Équipe indicates that Griezmann has chosen to remain with Atlético Madrid through the current season's conclusion, which means any prospective MLS transfer would need to be delayed until the league's summer transfer period opens in July.
Orlando continues to possess Griezmann's discovery rights (giving them first priority to sign him), but his choice to postpone any decision until summer has attracted attention from other interested clubs. The report states that Inter Miami and CF Montréal have both included the two-time Ballon d'Or finalist on their list of potential summer targets.
Just weeks earlier, it appeared inevitable that Griezmann would soon be spotted wearing Orlando's distinctive purple jersey. Now, donning pink colors could be his destiny. But what caused this shift?
Why Antoine Griezmann's Move to Orlando City Stalled
Why Antoine Griezmann's Move to Orlando City Stalled
During late February, media outlets reported that Griezmann was engaged in "advanced negotiations" to join Orlando, with the club pressing for the deal to be completed before MLS's primary transfer window closed on March 26.
According to ESPN, Orlando was so determined to secure Griezmann's immediate arrival to prevent a competitive bidding situation later in summer that their proposal was entirely conditional on the player joining in March.
Griezmann was weighing his alternatives, but the report indicates that Diego Simeone and Atlético Madrid's leadership stepped in to persuade the club's record goalscorer to remain until the season's end.
Subsequently, Atlético Madrid defeated Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals, which essentially eliminated any possibility of Griezmann departing mid-season. The French forward is an undisputed club icon, yet he has captured only one Europa League trophy during his eight-plus campaigns with Los Rojiblancos.
The Copa del Rey presents what could be Griezmann's final opportunity to claim a domestic title with Atléti, serving as an ideal farewell for such an influential player at the club.
"I don't need to emphasize how crucial Antoine is to our team," Simeone commented recently. "Everyone understands this. He's in a situation where he deserves to choose his own path."
Miami Interested in Messi, Griezmann Reunion
Miami Interested in Messi, Griezmann Reunion
Should Miami successfully pursue the 34-year-old French striker this summer, he would become the fourth ex-Barcelona player to reunite with Messi in South Florida, joining Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez.
Griezmann played two seasons at Barcelona from 2019–21 alongside Messi. It was a challenging period for the club, with the 2020–21 Copa del Rey being their sole trophy during that short partnership in Catalonia.
Coincidentally, those were Messi's final two seasons at Barcelona before his emotional departure. Many expected Griezmann to assume a larger leadership role after Messi's exit, but the Frenchman returned to Atlético Madrid on loan that same summer, as part of Barcelona's ongoing efforts to address their severe financial crisis.
Five years later, these two World Cup winners might potentially play together once more. However, Miami would need to be resourceful or make substantial roster adjustments to accommodate Griezmann's signing.
Currently, if Griezmann does ultimately arrive in Florida, he's still more likely to join the purple side of this rivalry.