Messi 'signed pre-contractual' deal with Inter Milan - Luisito Suarez reveals

Inter Milan legend Luisito Suarez claims he has in his possession paperwork confirming that Lionel Messi was on the verge of joining the Nerazzurri.

Suarez, who spent much of his playing career at Inter, winning the Scudetto three times in the 1960s in addition to lifting the European Cup twice with the Serie A club, and who spent two short spells on their bench in the 1990s, said a deal had already been struck with the player a decade ago.

Suarez was working as an advisor for Inter at the time and he says Messi had given the Serie A club more than just his word that he would join them.

"We could have got him when Barcelona had Deco, Ronaldinho and [Samuel] Eto'o up front," he told Radio Kiss Kiss. "I still have the pre-contractual agreement that he signed."

The head of Inter's biggest sponsors Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera, earlier this week spoke of his dream of seeing Messi wearing the club's colours one day, but Suarez says that is "going to remain just a dream," adding that he thinks Tronchetti Provera was "just saying it for entertainment value."

On a more serious note, he believes Inter's problem right now is that they lack a leader. Mauro Icardi has worn the captain's armband in recent seasons but while Suarez believes he is doing his best, he needs a more influential figure to ease the burden.

"When you've got a player like Icardi up there, you can hide certain problems, but this cannot happen all the time," Suarez said. "For years now Inter have been lacking a leader who knows how to dictate the tempo and can be the coach out on the field."

source: ESPN FC