PAOLO Maldini has confirmed that AC Milan made serious attempts to sign Lionel Messi when the Argentina captain left Barcelona in 2021.
Messi instead opted for Paris Saint-Germain after 15 glorious years with the Spanish giants and switched to Inter Miami this July.
Italian legend Maldini, who was a director at AC Milan at the time, spoke to actor Giacomo Poretti on his ‘PoretCast’ show about his career, both as a player and a director.
“For 10 days we tried to bring Lionel Messi to Milan, but then we realised it was impossible,” Maldini, a legendary defender for Italy and AC Milan, admitted.
“It is too late now, but a player like Messi is a spectacle for anyone to witness. When I read that he might even go to Inter, I got scared!”
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was a free agent when his contract with Barcelona expired in the summer of 2021 and they could no longer afford to register him.
Following several weeks of uncertainty and proposals coming in from various quarters, Messi finally signed for PSG in August 2021.
