Ex-Tottenham ace who Antonio Conte tried to sell is now in talks to play alongside Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi could be set to feature alongside a player who was clearly not good enough to make it at Tottenham under Antonio Conte.
The Italian is currently in charge of Napoli, recently substituting Kevin De Bruyne against Man City during his first return to the Etihad Stadium since leaving due to Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card.
Conte was in North London between November 2021 and March 2023, and with a 53 per cent win rate, many might have expected him to last longer, but he was possibly too honest publicly.
Now, Thomas Frank is in charge at Tottenham, over two years on from the 56-year-old’s reign, and the latest transfer news goes to show just how much things can change for Premier League clubs.
Sergio Reguilon is in talks to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami
According to The Athletic (7 October), Reguilon is in advanced talks to sign as a free agent for Messi’s Inter Miami, having been a free agent since the expiration of his contract in July.
This comes after Jordi Alba’s decision to announce his retirement from football at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, leaving Inter Miami to begin their search for a new left-back ahead of next season.
Football Insider revealed back in 2022 that Conte was open to selling Reguilon, with the manager at the time not totally convinced by the player’s ability at full-back.
Former Tottenham star Christian Eriksen had been training with Malmo as a free agent, only recently joining Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, where he has already made three appearances.
Which other Tottenham players have featured in MLS?
Unsurprisingly, Reguilon would not be the first former Spurs player to trade England for America, with Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris both currently playing for LAFC.
Jermaine Defoe, Clint Dempsey, and Robbie Keane all had spells over in the MLS, and the Spanish full-back could be next on the list. And what an experience it would be.
Reguilon has played for some top clubs around Europe, including Man United, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and, more recently, Brentford, but playing alongside Messi would be an incredible feat.
He will certainly have come a long way since Conte’s being open to his exit in 2022.