Como president Mirwan Suwarso wrote off speculation linking his upwardly mobile Serie A outfit with a move for Inter Miami skipper Lionel Messi as nothing more than fantasy. But Real Madrid are one of the clubs who may be wary of some real business conducted by this free-spending side.
The first whispers of Messi following his Italian heritage to Lake Como were born out of his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children being spotted at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. Como manager Cesc Fàbregas was simply playing host for his friends, but didn’t do anything to dampen the growing rumors.
“Never say never,” was Fàbregas’s message.
That tease was morphed into a declaration of intent as Messi then appeared to be unsettled at Inter Miami. The Argentine icon was said to be “extremely upset” with his MLS suspension for missing the All-Star Game, adding another layer of doubt to his delicate future which revolves around a Miami contract that expires in December. Como, however, are not in the race.
“It would be a dream if he came here,” Suwarso told La Stampa over the weekend. “But why would he leave a team where he earns all that money? We haven’t had any contact.”
While they may not be chasing after Messi, the self-styled Sports Disneyland are not short of ambition. Como have already splashed more than €100 million ($116.5 million) this summer despite missing out on several targets. “We tried [former Milan fullback] Theo Hernández, but it didn’t work out,” Suwarso bluntly revealed. “Chronologically, the last one was [Malick] Thiaw, but he refused. I think he wanted to go to a more prestigious club or stay at Milan.”
Como do have Nico Paz among their ranks. The languid left-footed playmaker is still someway short of Lionel Messi, but he is highly rated by his former club Real Madrid. The Spanish giants opted not to trigger their buy-back clause this summer, yet retain the option to buy Paz for as little as €9 million ($10.6 million) next year or €10 million ($11.8 million) in 2027.
Suwarso revealed that steps are being taken to prevent that scenario. “We’re holding talks to keep him,” the president insisted. “The meetings we’ve had so far have been positive; it will take time.”
READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS AND RUMORS FROM WORLD SOCCER
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘A Dream’—Como Chief Responds to Lionel Messi Transfer Rumors.