Inter Miami could be on their way to redefining what it means to be an MLS team in the transfer market. After Lionel Messi officially joins the team, the Herons expect to make at least five additional signings following the appointment of Tata Martino as their new coach following the departure of Phil Nevile. At the moment, Inter Miami are bottom of the Eastern Conference, just eight points from a playoff spot, but bringing Messi and his friends into the roster would mean there is room for rapid improvement as long as the team doesn’t fall too far below the ranking state. red line when Messi makes his debut on July 21.
Adding the best player in the world will make it easy for more players to join Miami, but they will also have to cut contracts as MLS roster rules will not be changed to allow them to sign more Designated Players. have or lift the limit to afford other players not named Messi. But what are some of the moves the club could make?
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Jordi Alba is about to sign for Miami
July 18 — Alba was linked to a deal with Saudi Arabia but Jorge Mas confirmed that he will instead join the Herons as they fill out the roster. Alba, who is expected to join a TAM deal, will not take up a regular playing spot at the club and is beginning to show the kind of attraction that Messi can bring to the recruiting territory. From a top salary at Barcelona to now earning around a million dollars a season, if other players start to follow Alba’s lead to join Messi, Miami can really build a competitive squad. Within the MLS salary structure, they can’t give everyone money they want, so being creative and finding bargains are key.
Perhaps there is a chance for Suarez after all
July 18 — All things seemed possible for the Herons after revealing Messi and sharpening young signings. Gremio seemed adamant about only letting Suarez leave if his release clause was paid, though negotiations continued between Miami and the Brazilian club. Suarez has been integral to their rise, but the appeal to join Messi and Busquets is there. Miami is growing confident they can add Suarez as per reports as their summer kicks into high gear.
Martino also increases the depth of the roster by adding Diego Gomez from Libertad. Gomez, a strong midfielder, will be able to give the team more range, so that Busquets does not go down during the season. In addition to Gomez, the Herons have also reached a verbal agreement to add Facundo Farias from Colon. Farias, an attacking midfielder, will have the big role to grow under Messi. Additions like this show Martino’s vision to have clear number two options to continue growing the team.
Lionel Messi puts pen to paper
July 15 — While Messi’s signing of his contract felt like a formality after verbally agreeing to join the club, He was officially announced by the club on Saturday ahead of the unveiling on Sunday, July 15. It was a difficult process to finalize Messi’s contract, but Pizzaro’s departure helped to clear space for Messi to join the squad. Things are getting underway for adding more reinforcements around Messi, but that will be easier now that the Argentine superstar is secured.
Roldalfo Pizzaro leaves
14th of July — Questions loomed as to how room would be made for the Designated Players Miami add and one sure to be moved attacks midfielder Pizzaro. The club never quite fit in with the team during his time in Florida and was able to negotiate a mutual termination of his contract. By doing so, it will give Miami the flexibility to add Messi to the roster, while Pizzaro will also move to a better situation personally. Pizzaro will now head to AEK Athens in Greece to reunite with his former coach Matías Almeyda who coached Pizzaro at Chivas Guadalajara.
The Barcelona reunion tour could continue
July 5 — Inter Miami’s mid-season rebuild kicks into high gear talk progress with left back Jordi Alba according to a report from the Athletics. At 34, Alba would immediately fit into a defense that needs reinforcements ASAP. There is growing optimism that a deal can be struck as Alba is currently a free agent after his contract with Barcelona expired. Also, if Alba joins, he will not occupy a Designated Player spot, which is essential as Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets would already occupy two of the three spots in Miami. The third will be filled by Rodolfo Pizzaro or Leonardo Campana, giving the team very limited financial flexibility to add stars to top pay points.
The ability to make deals like this will determine whether Tata Martino can put together a squad that can make the playoffs, but even with Alba, Messi and Busquets all together, climbing out of the basement will be easier said than done . of the Eastern Conference.
Could Jesse Lingard be Miami’s next target?
July 2nd — Spotted training with the club, Lingard is currently a free agent following the expiry of his contract with Nottingham Forest. Lingard has only played sparingly for the Tricky Trees, but Inter Miami need all the help they can get in attack, even if Messi arrives. Lingard has plenty of Premier League experience from his time at Manchester United and could give new manager Tata Martino more depth of attack on a budget.
Jorge Mas has already pushed for more signings and will need to do so as soon as possible so that those signings have as much time as possible with Messi, who is expected to make his debut against Cruz Azul on July 21. Lingard on a free transfer would be a move that could be made with minimal risk as the Herons try to cover as many bases as possible to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement.
Tata Martino announced as new Inter Miami manager
June 28 — The worst kept secret in MLS was finally revealed on Wednesday when Tata Martino was officially announced as Inter Miami’s new manager. He takes over from the sacked Phil Neville and will lead a superstar Lionel Messi for the third time in the career. He has previously overseen both Barcelona and Argentina with Messi on board. He joins Sergio Busquets and Messi as recent additions to the club, while owner Jorge Mas has touted at least one more big signing this window.
June 19 — The most important position right now is who will coach the team. With the right coach, they can avoid falling further behind in the playoff race and Tata Martino is a proven coach in the MLS, winning the MLS Cup with Atlanta United. I want to join in early July according to reports in Argentina, Martino has experience building a team essentially from the ground up and has also coached Messi Barcelona And Argentina, so the familiarity is there. While a spell with Mexico may not have been the biggest bridge for Martino, El Tri, who is already working on his replacement in Diego Cocca, shows how deep the problems are there. Martino is a coach who will do everything he can to get the team above the play-off line and he will get enough support in the transfer market to do that.
Official: Busquets signs for Miami
June 23 — Inter Miami have officially signed Sergio Busquets as a free agent after the former FC Barcelona player ended his tenure in Spain. The player returns to Messi after the duo teamed up with Barcelona. Busquets turned down several Saudi clubs before agreeing to join the MLS side. The club released a video announcing the new signing:
Di Maria probably won’t be going to Miami
21st of June — While negotiations over several of Messi’s former teammates are still ongoing, there is one player who will not join Inter Miami this summer. Angel Di Maria has decided to move back to Benfica and will sign for the Portuguese club after his contract with Juventus expires at the end of June. As CBS insider Fabrizio Romano reported, the talks are in the final stages and just missing the final details to get it sealed. If all goes according to plan, Di Maria will sign a contract until June 2024 and will return 13 years after his last spell at Benfica, when he signed for the Portuguese club and embarked on an incredible European journey that led him to play. for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
Details about Messi’s contract are emerging
June 19 — According to reports, Messi is signing a two-and-a-half-year contract worth more than $50 million. That label includes a salary, bonuses and equity in the club, but it does not include deals with Apple and Adidas, both of which are expected to help boost Messi’s earning potential. The deal leaves Messi under contract for the team until 2025, a period that could cause seismic changes in Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami will already begin work on expanding the 3,000-seat DRV PNK stadium to increase the capacity to approximately 22,000, as any home game is likely to be sold out. More security will also be added as the club even tries to accelerate construction of Miami Freedom Park to have it ready by the summer or early fall of 2025. influence of Messi’s arrival can be seen before he even sets foot on a pitch.
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on the way?
June 19 — Director Jorge Mas has already hinted that there are more signups and Sergio Busquets and Jordan Alba are two of Messi’s former teammates with the strongest ties to Miami. After his contract in Barcelona expired, Busquets is expected to participate in a Designated Player contract meaning both Gregory and Rodolfo Pizzaro will have to have their contracts revoked. The team reportedly covets Leonardo Campana and the newly added Josef Martinez, so it’s unlikely the duo will be moved to create roster flexibility.
Busquets is a tough addition as he evokes memories Steven Gerard, Frank LampardAndrea Pirlo and even that of Inter Miami Blaise Matuidi as older midfielders who came to the MLS and couldn’t keep up with the pace of the league, but with a game based more on positioning than athletics, he has a chance to defy the times. With the expected assigned player tag comes expectations, so just helping Messi isn’t enough to make this move a home run when it happens. Along with the pair Luis Suarez And Angel Di Maria are linked to moves to the Herons, but without roster rule changes, those will be easier said than done to achieve.
