Suarez close to Messi reunion at Inter Miami thanks to salary rule loophole
Messi inadvertently proving Ronaldo right at Inter Miami
Luis Suarez is closing in on a sensational reunion with former Barcelona strike partner Lionel Messi at Inter Miami as David Beckham prepares to lure another superstar to MLS. The ex-Camp Nou marksman could join the growing contingent of Blaugrana icons as the Herons look to exploit a loophole in the rules to get their man.
Legendary winger Messi has been joined by former teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami in recent months, alongside ex-Barca manager Gerardo Martino. Now, the Floridan franchise’s ambitious chiefs are looking to take advantage of Suarez’s impending availability as his contract at Gremio expires this month.
As reported by the Athletic, the forward is close to finalising a switch to Beckham’s MLS outfit, with the club facing a couple of different possibilities when it comes to tying him down to a contract. Firstly, Miami would have the option of naming Suarez in one of their maximum three Designated Player (DP) slots which would enable him to earn more than the league’s salary cap.
The only problem in that respect is that the Herons currently already have reached the limit in this regard, with Messi, Busquets and Gregore named as DPs. Alternatively, Vice City could bring the forward using by Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to ensure the star’s salary comes in below the DP threshold, ensuring him a smaller annual salary of £158,000.
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Despite Miami’s apparent eagerness to sign the 36-year-old, the Uruguayan has previously admitted he is not as sprightly as he once was. Speaking on the ‘100% Deporte’ radio show in his home country, the former Liverpool forward opened up on his troublesome knee – which has been causing him considerable pain in recent times.
He admitted: “The truth is that the first steps I take in the morning are very painful. Anyone who sees me thinks it is impossible for me to play a game. My son asks me to play with him and I am not able to. On the inside I have cartilage wear and that hits the bone. No liquid is generated but sometimes it gets stuck. Before games I take three pills and inject myself.”
Despite this, the Barcelona icon professed that he still harbours hopes of continuing his storied playing career following the conclusion with his contract with his current employers. He said:”I’ve earned the right to decide, to say enough and to enjoy the place where I’ll play next and for my kids, who have had little vacation time lately in order to stay with me and support me.”
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Miami head coach Martino has already admitted he and his coaching staff have been preparing for the hypothetical arrival of the striker at the club ahead of next season. Speaking before the Herons’ final game of the MLS regular season versus Charlotte FC, he was not exactly coy about his club’s interest in Suarez.
The former Barcelona and Argentina boss acknowledged: “Within our analysis of the upcoming season, and the needs we may have, we have an analysis with Luis and an analysis without Luis. When the moment arrives to make Suarez’s situation with respect to Inter Miami official, we’ll be prepared to go in the corresponding direction.”
The introduction of various household names at the Vice City during the summer helped the franchise to win silverware for the first time in the club’s history with the Leagues Cup last term. However, they were unable to make up for their shortcomings in the first half of the campaign as they missed out on the MLS playoffs.
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