Who might be moving to South Beach after the club missed the MLS playoffs in 2023, and what are the team’s needs going into the offseason?
The 2023 summer transfer window for Inter Miami will be remembered in history. No other window in MLS history will ever compare. For everybody who has followed this club, it became immortal the moment Lionel Messi arrived in South Florida, and every moment thereafter has felt like something out of a movie.
But like with all great films, interest in a sequel is growing. How is it possible for Inter Miami to follow up the most significant transfer window in history? Can the club make any more powerful swings in the upcoming months? The most crucial question is how they can build a team around Messi now that he is leading the charge and convert all of these positive experiences into a chance to win the MLS Cup.
These questions have already started to be answered. Since Messi’s arrival, speculation has been rife about the next high-profile player who will join Inter Miami along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
But who might Miami bring in this offseason? GOAL investigates…
Rules to adhere to
For those who are new to Major League Soccer, each team follows a set of rules. Some teams, namely Inter Miami, are notorious for abusing those rules. But as the 2024 MLS season approaches, it’s unclear exactly how those rules will be structured.
We’ll have to assume that MLS rules will be broadly similar to how they were in 2023 until such changes are confirmed, but there have been rumours of some adjustments this winter. Because of this, Inter Miami will start the season with the maximum number of Designated Players on its roster: Messi, Busquets, and Leonardo Campana.
The good news is that the team will soon be free of the sanction imposed by the league for violating the regulations governing rosters. The club was found to have underreported pay, most notably that of French star Blaise Matuidi, which resulted in a significant fine and lower allocation funds for 2022 and 2023, which restricted the amount of money the team could spend on its squad.
As a result, Inter Miami will enter 2024 on an equal footing with the competition.
Luis Suarez
his has almost been completed, if rumours are to be believed. What is certain is that Luis Suarez will leave Gremio this winter. Despite controversy, the club has acknowledged that the striker is leaving after his conditioning significantly improved when it appeared that a transfer to Miami with Messi was a possibility.
We also know that Messi and Suarez are practically each other’s closest sports pals. They grew close in Barcelona, both on and off the pitch, and they had tight-knit families. The two were virtually unstoppable when playing at Camp Nou, and Messi’s relationship with the Blaugrana notoriously began to deteriorate when Barca suddenly released Suarez.
Suarez is destined for Inter Miami, however it is unclear what kind of funding will be required to make that happen. For instance, Alba accepted a low-cost offer to play with his buddies. Suarez might bring another Barcelona All-Star to Miami if he does the same.
Luka Modric
Luka Modric is second in line behind Suarez as far as Miami connections go. There have been so many rumours linking the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner to seven-time champion Messi that Carlo Ancelotti was forced to address the rumours, stating that as things stand, there is no intention of letting Modric leave Real Madrid in January. But in this sport, don’t things change quickly?
But with Modric, the real question isn’t whether Miami can sign him, but rather what would happen. Could Miami afford to add more aged legs in a league like MLS given that the midfield already has one ageing midfield ace, Busquets, firmly entrenched? And if they succeed in doing that, is someone like Benjamin Cremaschi willing to run as much as is required to keep the midfield moving?
The connections to Modric may or may not be discovered; either way, they are probably here to stay. If the team is successful, they will have added a new superstar who is still quite close to the peak of his abilities.
Sergi Roberto
Oh look, another Barcelona player has been mentioned as a Miami transfer! Even though the versatile midfielder Sergi Roberto isn’t as well-known as Messi, Alba, Busquets, or Suarez, he has been a constant in Catalunya for more than a decade and has won everything there is to win. If he does move to Major League Soccer, he still has a few solid years left and might finally play a more regular role.
However, according to rumours from Spain, Roberto is eager to captain Barcelona after replacing Busquets in the position, so it might not happen this winter.
Positions of need
You cannot dispute the fact that Miami currently has the most skilled starting XI in MLS. Along with the three former Barcelona players, the roster also includes DeAndre Yedlin, a veteran of the USMNT, as well as rising stars Cremaschi in midfield and Drake Callender in goal.
Young South American players Tomas Aviles and Facundo Farias arrived this summer and displayed flashes of their talent, while veterans Gregore and Jean Mota, who both suffered catastrophic injuries in 2023, will make a comeback. There are now 15 players on this team who legitimately belong among the top 10 or so players in their position in the Major League Soccer.
The club does, however, have some gaps to fill. With Josef Martinez’s upcoming departure, it appears that striker is one, but Campana’s presence offers the team a viable starter or, if necessary, a legitimate trade asset.
Miami, however, might benefit from having more depth at a number of important spots. The club did solve that early in the season by dealing for, and later re-signing, Canadian star Kamal Miller, so center-back is undoubtedly one.
While it would definitely be a good idea to bring in one more attacker who could help Farias take the load in those games where Messi doesn’t play, teams can always use additional legs in the midfield. However, they’ll likely need to reduce the salary of either Gregore or Mota to make that happen.
Overall, Miami’s team doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses. They don’t have to panic and spend money on another well-known figure. This team, who had rebuilt the roster throughout the summer, is allowed to pick its spots and choose its players as they try to fine-tune.
On the way out
Tata Martino’s confirmation that Martinez is leaving means we already know about one departure. This will leave a void at striker, but it appears that the Uruguayan previously mentioned should be able to fill it with ease.
Other than that, the majority of the team’s key players have contracts in place for the upcoming season. Miami has the option to bring back Robert Taylor, a Finland international who excelled in the early weeks of Messimania and who currently makes a solid bench option. Victor Ulloa and Robbie Robinson, on the other hand, appear to be going because their contracts are about to expire.
However, a lot will depend on what Miami does with Campana, who, if made available, would be desired by many MLS teams. Defensive back Chris McVey is another player who may be traded if the organisation is trying to raise some cash.