And Inter Milan have the financial muscle to afford a deal, too.

Meanwhile, reporter Marcelo Bechler has claimed Barcelona are ‘pessimistic’ about their chances of keeping Messi this summer.

He told Bleacher Report: “At the beginning of the season he said what was important was not a big contract or money, but a strong project.

“And with no titles and that loss to Bayern, he still has three or four years left to play and he knows he can help Barca — but they can not help him.

“Messi has always thought him and Barca were ‘just one thing,’ but now he is thinking maybe he can be another thing without Barcelona.