Inter Miami already had the actual Sergio Busquets. Now they also have the young midfielder described as his natural successor. Federico Redondo certainly isn’t the biggest name or most recognisable face to have pitched up at Chase Stadium recently, but his arrival in Major League Soccer proves Inter Miami’s project is about more than just Messi.
Of course, a lot of it is about Messi. He’s the reason countless celebrities – including Will Smith for last week’s season opener – have made the trip to Fort Lauderdale for a game. He has doubled Inter Miami’s valuation as a franchise to $1bn and sold out stadiums in El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia on a global pre-season tour. There is a gravity around Messi and MLS has been sucked into it.
Around Messi, though, Inter Miami have built out the most talented roster in league history. Luis Suárez will provide the sort of cutting edge Josef Martínez couldn’t last season, assuming the Uruguayan striker can avoid injury, while Jordi Alba and Busquets are key figures. Even beyond the Herons’ core of former Barcelona stars, some impressive squad building has taken place.
An effort to find the best young talent in South America has underpinned Inter Miami’s superstar recruitment drive. Tomás Avilés, Facundo Farías and Diego Gómez arrived in the same transfer window as Messi, Busquets and Alba with all three players age 21 or younger. They cover the ground their veteran teammates are unable to.
Redondo’s $8m signing is the clearest indication yet of Inter Miami’s two-pronged strategy. The 21-year-old has been tracked for years by several European clubs who believe he has the makings of an elite level midfield anchor. The Busquets comparisons are warranted. He was a standout performer 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 – isn’t the first highly rated South American youngster to end up in MLS. Indeed, Atlanta United have persuaded several players of a similar mould to sign since their entry into the league in 2018 – see Miguel Almirón, Esequiel Barco and Pity Martínez. They signed those players, however, by handing out bumper Designated Player (DP) contracts. Redondo only occupies a U-22 Initiative roster slot for Inter Miami, which carries a limited cap charge.
Snagging Redondo on a cost-effective deal has increased the focus on Miami’s spending. Suspicion around Inter Miami’s salary cap compliance isn’t hard to find. After all, this is a club that was handed a $2m fine by MLS three years ago for several violations of the league’s salary budget and roster rules during their expansion season. Sporting director Paul McDonough was also banned and a reduction of allocation money through 2022 and 2023 meted out too. This time, though, Inter Miami say they are doing things by the book.
Co-owner Jorge Mas reportedly led the lobby persuading MLS to loosen the purse strings this offseason. There is a growing sense that clubs are being held back by the cautious roster and budget rules that have barely changed in years. More money would mean better players and a stronger league. MLS, however, resisted the pressure to change and largely stood by its rules for 2024. Inter Miami, like everyone else, have to comply.
Alba is on a base salary of $1.25m, according to the MLS Players Association figures released in September 2023, while Suarez is reportedly on a salary of just $200,000-a-year. Neither are Designated Players, but Leo Campana – an Ecuadorian forward who failed to make much of an impact in Europe and is a depth option for Inter Miami – is, strangely. There’s some interesting financial Tetris happening and many doubt the blocks will ultimately fit together. “They are screwed, trust me,” one anonymous sporting executive director at a rival club told the Athletic before the start of the 2024 season.
Gregore’s transfer to Botafogo just two days before the season opener against Real Salt Lake apparently ticked the final box for Inter Miami to be roster and budget compliant for 2024, but they are performing a delicate balancing act. With every statement signing they make, it becomes more challenging to stay upright. One misstep and they could fall.
The Inter Miami supporters who are paying a standard price of $2,720 for a season ticket this season probably don’t care about any of this. They have a front row seat to the most star-laden show in MLS history and Redondo is the latest to enter the stage. The young Argentinian is expected to be a valuable supporting cast member behind Messi.
Without Messi, of course, it’s unlikely Redondo – and Busquets and Alba and Suárez – would have joined Inter Miami in the first place. The Argentina youth international clearly felt the pull of playing alongside one of the greatest players of all time. This is why Redondo favoured a move to MLS; Messi is Inter Miami’s most powerful negotiating tool.
Being ‘The Messi Team’ will only carry Inter Miami so far. They need a squad capable of handling a packed schedule which will include MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup fixtures this year, not to mention the 2024 Copa America – which will see Messi miss a fifth of Inter Miami’s regular season if Argentina make a run to the final. Messi could miss even more time if he opts to play for Argentina at the Paris Olympics.
There also needs to be secondary business model in place once Inter Miami have squeezed all they can out of Messi, who turns 37 in June. They must become active players in the global transfer market and Redondo’s signing 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 only be truly felt once Messi is gone.
