Former Inter president Massimo Moratti has admitted to exploring the possibility of signing Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta during his time at San Siro, while Andrea Pirlo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were almost brought back to the club.
The Serie A giants have been linked with an ambitious move to take mercurial Argentine Messi to Italy on a regular basis throughout his iconic career.
Inter’s very first moves to try and secure his services came before he had established himself as a superstar at Camp Nou, with Moratti eager to buy into his potential as a teenager before walking away once it became clear how much faith Barca were showing in a future Ballon d’Or winner.
“We started to watch Messi at the U18 World Cup,” Moratti told Corriere della Sera.
“We started the charge; our mission in Spain. My scouts came back and told me about the difficulties of his health and the commitment of Barcelona, of the dedication to solve those problems. I said to leave it alone. I swear they were taking care of Messi like a father with his son.”
Having been forced to give up on landing Messi, Inter found themselves in a similar position when it came to trying lure Iniesta away from Catalunya.
Moratti added: “Failed purchases? In a sense there was Iniesta.
“But it was immediately closed completely. Not from the player, we did not even get to him. I met the management of Barcelona and we had the economic and persuasive force. I talked about a lot of players but when I mentioned the name of Iniesta, the attitude changed radically. I could have made any offer and it would have been useless. They would never sell him.”
Getty ImagesWhile Inter were never able to bring Messi and Iniesta onto their books, they have boasted a number of legendary performers down the years.
Two of those could have returned for second spells had fate not taken them down different career paths.
Moratti said of a World Cup-winning playmaker who made his name after leaving the Nerazzurri: “With Pirlo, when he went from Milan to Juventus [in 2011], there was more than one corner to be turned for a return to Inter. But nothing came of it.”
He added on an enigmatic Swedish striker who tasted three title successes with Inter between 2006 and 2009: “Ibrahimovic, when he passed from Barcelona to Milan, called me.
“He confessed to the beginning of a negotiation and, with a gesture that I greatly appreciated, told me that if I had advanced a counter offer, he would have chosen us. But, as I say, things were already in motion and it did not make sense to force events.”