Jordi Alba Miami move all but confirmed before Messi's debut

Jordi Alba is on the verge of joining his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami. The move was confirmed by Inter Miami’s co-owner Jorge Mas on Tuesday.

“We’re going to sign Alba today. I know that [manager] Tata [Martino] is counting on him for the second half of the Cup”, Mas told the media after the Herons’ training session.

Jordi Alba rejected offers for Saudi Arabia to pick Inter Miami

After 11 seasons with the La Liga powerhouse, Alba revealed on May 24 that he would be departing Barcelona. The fullback still had a year remaining on his contract at Camp Nou. Following his announcement, several clubs expressed an interest in bringing Alba on. For example, European clubs or the aforementioned Saudi Pro League targeted the Spaniard. Yet, Inter Miami’s offer ultimately won him over.

According to reports, the 34-year-old defender was a top priority for Miami. The club, though, had trouble finding a pay package that worked inside MLS‘s wage cap.

The European Championship-winning defender rose to prominence with Valencia. Then, he joined the Catalan club in 2012. During his time at Barcelona, Alba played alongside Lionel Messi until the Argentine forward’s departure for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

Until a few months ago, Alba and Busquets were captains of Barcelona. However, one’s contract expired and the other one parted ways mutually, leading them to make their way to Inter Miami in the coming days. Additionally, both players represented the Spanish national team, with Busquets announcing his retirement from international soccer last year.

Alongside Messi and compatriot Sergio Busquets, Alba is part of a massive overhaul at Inter Miami this summer. While Messi and Busquets are slated to feature against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on July 21, Alba’s debut may come a little later.

HOW MANY MINUTES WILL LIONEL MESSI GET ON FRIDAY?

Lionel Messi continues to progress towards his debut for Inter Miami as he successfully completed his initial official training session with the MLS club on Tuesday. Following the training session, where Messi joined Busquets, co-owner David Beckham confirmed his anticipation of the World Cup winner featuring in some capacity during Friday’s match.

PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire