Former AC Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli discussed Inter’s dreams of signing Barcelona star Lionel Messi in an interview with Italian radio broadcaster Radio Sportiva earlier today.

“Those who want to take advantage of it may do so. When I was at Inter, President Zhang talked about the market and said ‘I want Messi’ but we explained to him that there was no possibility for the FFP.”

He highlighted how the Nerazzurri may look to scoop up the 33-year-old Argentine star on a free transfer next summer, after his contract expires with Barcelona. Currently a contract renewal doesn’t seem close.

“I can assure you that for Inter he is more than a dream. Now his contract will expire in a year, then he’s in danger of leaving on a free transfer next June. These are important choices to make in Spain, but you have to think about not losing such a player on a free transfer.”

The 33-year-old Messi, who has been professionally contracted to Barcelona since 2005, was a part of the squad that suffered a shock 8-2 defeat to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich yesterday evening. The player still had a strong season despite the issues present at the club, making 44 appearances across all competitions for a total of 3810 minutes. In that time, he scored 31 goals and provided 26 assists.

Inter are interested in signing the player and president Steven Zhang understands how much of a boost signing the star would bring the club internationally, quickly making them one of the most discussed clubs in the world.