Report: Inter Miami hold discovery rights to Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne and Lionel Messi together on the same squad? It's a distinct possibility.

That's because Messi's Inter Miami side holds the discovery rights to Manchester City star De Bruyne, ESPN reported.

De Bruyne announced April 4 that he will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the Premier League season. De Bruyne, 33, has been with the defending four-time Premier League champions since 2015.

As holders of De Bruyne's discovery rights, Inter Miami has the first chance to negotiate with him should he elect to play in Major League Soccer.

De Bruyne had been linked to MLS expansion team San Diego FC last summer, but the team expressed financial concerns over De Bruyne.

"I've had conversations with him, but I'll tell you what: Those wages won't fit our budget at the moment in terms of what his expectations are," San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps indicated at the time, ESPN reported.

Inter Miami has developed a rock-star following since the addition of Messi, who teams with player such as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets on a club that is 4-0-2 (14 points) and second in the MLS Eastern Conference.

- Field Level Media