Inter Miami are reportedly interested in making a transfer offer for Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo De Paul - a close friend of Messi.

Atletico recently listed the box-to-box midfielder with a $17 million price tag, which in part may be due to the reported transfer of USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso. The Miami Herald is reporting the Herons have confirmed team owner Jorge Mas is currently in Madrid.

De Paul would be a substantial addition for Inter Miami as he's been one of the best midfielders in global football and is still in his prime at 31. Yet, this move would come with a challenges.

Miami have complained about restrictive transfer rules in their pursuit of Neymar and Kevin De Bruyne. Unless there is a creative way to get De Paul on the roster, the team's current roster situation is prohibitive. Also, as seen with both Neymar and De Bruyne, there could be competition from around the world with clubs who have fewer roster restrictions than in MLS. The report mentions Atleti manager Diego Simeone is keen on having De Paul stay through his contract, which ends in 2026.

Another news indicates De Paul could be effectively a long-term replacement for Busquets, whose contract expires this season, along with Luis Suarez's deal.

De Paul and Messi won the 2022 World Cup together in Qatar as members of Argentina. De Paul was also a member of La Liga's 2024-25 Team of the Year - highlighting how potent he could potentially be in MLS.