by Inter Miami already had the actual Sergio Busquets. Now they also have the young midfielder who is known as his natural successor. Federico Redondo is certainly not the biggest name or the most recognizable person to emerge at Chase Stadium in recent times, but his arrival in Major League Soccer proves that there is more to the Inter Miami project than Messi.
Of course, a lot of it yes about Messi. That’s why countless celebrities — including Will Smith for last week’s season opener — made the trip to Fort Lauderdale for a game. Inter Miami’s valuation as a franchise has doubled to $1bn and sold out stadiums in El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia on a pre-season world tour. There is gravity around Messi and MLS is drawn into it.
Around Messi, however, Inter Miami have built the most talented roster in league history. Luis Suárez will provide the type of breakthrough that Josef Martínez couldn’t last season, assuming the Uruguay striker can avoid injury, with Jordi Alba and Busquets as key figures. Even outside of the Herons core of former Barcelona stars, there has been significant squad building.
Inter Miami’s superstar recruitment campaign is underpinned by an effort to find the best young talent in South America. Tomás Avilés, Facundo Farías and Diego Gómez arrived in the same transfer window as Messi, Busquets and Alba with all three players aged 21 or under. They cover ground that their veteran counterparts cannot.
Related: Lionel Messi pulls Inter Miami to the rescue with an injury time stunner at LA Galaxy
The $8m signing of Redondo is the clearest sign yet of Inter Miami’s two-pronged strategy. The 21-year-old has been tracked for years by a number of European clubs who believe he is an elite midfield anchor. The Busquets comparisons are justified. He was excellent for Argentina at the 2023 Under-20 World Cup and is expected to feature at this summer’s Olympics.
Of course, Redondo – the son of former Real Madrid star Fernando Redondo – is not the first highly-rated youngster from South America to end up in the MLS. In fact, Atlanta United have convinced several players of the same model to sign since entering the league in 2018 – see Miguel Almirón, Esequiel Barco and Pity Martínez. However, they signed those players by awarding them bumper Designated Player (DP) contracts. Redondo has Inter Miami’s only U-22 Initiative roster slot, which carries a limited cap fee.
Snagging Redondo on a cost-effective deal increased the focus on Miami spending. Doubts about Inter Miami’s salary cap compliance are not hard to come by. After all, this is a club that was fined $2m by MLS three years ago for several violations of the league’s salary budget and roster rules during the expansion season. Sporting director Paul McDonough was also banned and a reduction in the money allocation to 2022 and 2023 was also achieved. This time, however, Inter Miami say they are doing things by the book.
Co-owner Jorge Mas reportedly led the lobby urging MLS to loosen the purse strings last season. There is a growing sense that clubs are being held back by the careful roster and budget rules that have hardly changed over the years. More money would mean better players and a stronger league. MLS, however, resisted pressure to change and largely stuck to their rules for 2024. Inter Miami, like everyone else, must comply.
Alba has a base salary of $1.25m, according to MLS Players Association figures released in September 2023, while Suarez is reportedly on a salary of just $200,000 per year. Neither are Designated Players, but Leo Campana – an Ecuadorian forward who has failed to make much of an impact in Europe and is a depth option for Inter Miami – is an oddity. There is some interesting financial Tetris happening and there is a lot of doubt that the blocks will finally fit together. “They’re scared, trust me,” said an unnamed executive director of sport at a rival club to Athletic before the start of the 2024 season.
Related: Inter Miami have assembled a great team, but they are still a flawed competitor
Gregore’s move to Botafogo just two days before the season opener against Real Salt Lake appears to have ticked the final box for Inter Miami to meet the 2024 roster and budget, but they are performing a delicate balancing act. With each signature they make, it becomes more challenging to stay upright. One misstep and they could fall.
Inter Miami supporters who are paying a standard price of $2,720 for a season ticket this season probably have no worries. They have a front row seat to the most loaded show in MLS history and Redondo is the latest to take the stage. The young Argentine is expected to be a valuable supporting cast member behind Messi.
Without Messi, of course, it is unlikely that Redondo – and Busquets and Alba and Suárez – would have joined Inter Miami in the first place. It was clear that the young Argentine international felt the pull of playing alongside one of the greatest players of all time. This is why Redondo favored a move to MLS; Messi is Inter Miami’s most powerful negotiating tool.
Being ‘Team Messi’ will only carry Inter Miami so far. They need a squad that can handle a packed schedule that includes MLS matches, the Concacaf Champions Cup and the League Cup this year, not to mention the 2024 Copa America – which will see Messi miss a fifth of Inter Miami’s regular season if the Argentina run. until the final. Messi could lose more time if he chooses to play for Argentina at the Paris Olympics.
A secondary business model also needs to be in place when Inter Miami will be all over Messi, who will be 37 in June. They need to be active participants in the global transfer market and the signing of Redondo is a nod to this. He, like many of his new teammates, may be in south Florida to play alongside his hero, but his impact will not be truly felt once Messi is gone.
