FC Barcelona were left disappointed as former captain and club legend joined Inter Miami in the ongoing transfer window. The 36-year-old departed PSG as a free agent and was linked to his former club, whom he left for the Ligue 1 side. But the speculation came to an end as he decided to move to the MLS. It was reported that Barcelona couldn’t afford his salary and he didn’t want the club to reduce the salaries of other players to accommodate him.
The situation was already predicted by former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, who had stated that Messi would not return to the Catalan outfit this summer. Now, Messi has also been joined by another former Barca captain Sergio Busquets, and could also welcome Jordi Alba to the side.
Speaking during the opening of the Ronald Koeman Cup, a charity golf event, the Dutchman reacted to Messi’s decision to join Inter Miami. He said, “The situation is totally different than two years ago with Messi. It was a big mistake to let him leave. I always hoped that he would stay at Barça for the rest of his life, it was a big mistake to let him go.”
Koeman also criticised Barcelona’s transfer policy, but also had some praise for new signing Ilkay Gundogan. “There is no need to discuss a signing like Gundogan, he is a great player and a great professional like Lewandowski, but it is only for a short time because they are of a certain age. You can’t sign two or three players of this type every season, you have to work for the future. Signing a 22-year-old is better for the future than signing a 33 or 34-year-old,” he said.
“I like Gündogan because he is a great player but it is a moment, I think, for a club that has to look to the future, that there are young people and the structure of the club has to be for the next years. For Lewandowski, you can argue, and with other players, but it’s only for two or three years,” he further added.