Copyright sportskeeda
Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek has made a bold claim on being asked whether the Turkish giants will sign Lionel Messi. The Lions have dominated Turkish football in the last few years and have made several high-profile signings.Galatasaray have won the Turkish Super Lig back-to-back in the last three seasons. They racked up a record-breaking 102 points in the 2023-24 season and also won the Turkish Cup last season.The Istanbul-based club have made several major signings in the past few seasons. They signed players like Mauro Icardi, Wilfried Zaha, Lucas Torreira and Dries Mertens and also shattered the Turkish transfer record with the £65 million signing of Victor Osimhen.Now, Dursun Ozbek has claimed that the club can convince Lionel Messi to swap Inter Miami for them. He told Turkish publication Fanatik:"Did you say Messi? Galatasaray's most successful point is the transfers it has made. We didn't make too many transfers, but we made the transfers we needed, we kept the team. We kept the backbone of the team that became champion three years in a row, especially the whole team. I believe we built a successful team with transfers. We raised the bar very high. We made the highest transfer in the history of Turkish football. Galatasaray's economic level is suitable for these transfers."He added:"We have raised the level of success to a high level, so you can easily ask the Messi question. While doing all this, we have achieved a good financial situation and we are not doing anything that will disrupt this. All the work we do, all of it has to stay within our financial capacity. That's why we have built a good team and hopefully we have goals in Europe. We will do whatever it takes to reach these goals."Chances of Galatasaray signing Lionel Messi seems very bleak considering the Argentine's recent contract renewal. The Argentine superstar recently signed a new deal to keep him at Inter Miami until 2028.USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino details Lionel Messi's impact in the United StatesUSMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami has made a huge impact in the United States. Messi's move to the MLS side have significantly improved the viewership of the league in the United States and abroad.Lionel Messi's move to the Chase Stadium has seen several top players join the Herons and many big players moving to the MLS. In an interview with BBC, Mauricio Pochettino has hailed his compatriot's impact in the United States. He said:“Messi is changing the sports culture of the country. Before, kids dreamed of playing basketball or American football; now they also want to become soccer players."Messi has been a key player for Inter Miami since moving to the club in 2023 having scored 76 goals and provided 38 assists in 85 games. The Herons have signed former Barcelona players like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and several other top players.
