This season has felt like three different seasons for Inter Miami. But now we know, officially, when it’ll end.
Miami was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this past weekend with two games remaining in the regular season. They won a trophy (Leagues Cup), got to another final (US Open Cup) … but sit 14th in the Eastern Conference. It’s been a whirlwind.
The short version: Miami is set up better than maybe any other team in MLS for success in 2024.
State of the roster
Head coach: Tata Martino (since 2023)
Chief soccer officer: Chris Henderson (since 2021)
The good
I mean. What do you expect to read here? Should I just write “Lionel Messi”over and over again like an old school detention punishment?
Yes, Miami has Messi. Miami has Sergio Busquets and Alba. That’s pretty cool. All of that is obvious. Slightly less obvious is that outside of that trio, Miami has a ton of talent that fits together perfectly. The club’s recruitment team deserves credit for that.
Midfielder Gregore and right back DeAndre Yedlin are perfect complementary players around the stars. Striker Leo Campana is good, but could also be traded for a whole lot of allocation money. Same goes for midielder Jean Mota too. Homegrowns Ben Cremaschi, David Ruiz and Noah Allen represent tremendous output vs. their salary cap hit. Miami might have the best U-22 initiative trio in the league with Facundo Farias, Tomas Aviles and Diego Gomez. Goalkeeper Drake Callender has broken into the US. national team pool this year with excellent performances in Miami and is among the top goalkeepers in the league.
I think this is the most talented top 15 roster spots in the league heading to 2024 even if they don’t add anyone (but they will).
The bad
There are some awkward fits. Striker Josef Martinez hasn’t been bad, but one would imagine they’ll look at his budget charge and see if that money isn’t spent more effectively elsewhere, particularly if a new Uruguayan forward arrives. Miami has a contract option on Martinez for 2024.
Coco Jean (salary of just under $800,000, per the MLSPA) and Nico Steffanelli ($441,667) are another two who don’t obviously fit. Mota ($836,000 salary and a higher budget charge thanks to a transfer fee) may be expendable given the glut of central midfield options.
There’s no replacing Messi, obviously, but without him, Miami has struggled mightily to create chances from open play. Facundo Farias could be that guy in 2024, but he hasn’t been yet.
What could change
Let’s start at center forward. Luis Suarez reworked his Gremio deal to be able to leave this winter and there’s an avalanche of reporting to suggest he could be on his way to Miami. He’s 36 years old, but has scored 18 goals with 12 assists in 3,673 minutes across all competitions this year. Martinez’s contract option and Leo Campana’s desirability within MLS could help make room for him
Players like Jean and Steffanelli could leave to free up space for additions. Their contracts both expire after the 2024 season.
Lastly: This year was the last for Inter Miami’s transfer sanctions due to the Blaise Matuidi signing. They start fresh in 2024, with a full deck of allocation money.
The infrastructure
Inter Miami has a lot of factors working in its favor. Messi, Busquets, Alba and Tata Martino alone give an edge in recruitment. They’re also the club of South Beach (though they don’t actually play anywhere near), and the club of of David Beckham. That lifestyle travels far.
It comes with detriments — Matuidi wanted to come to Miami and that was a historically bad signing — but this front office has a ton more hits than misses. Matuidi (and Gonzalo Higuain) were signed under the previous regime.
Ownership has spent big not just on Messi and Busquets’ contracts, but then pumped in about $15 million in transfer fees for Farias, Aviles and Gomez in the summer too. Money ain’t an issue.
Offseason priorities
Luis Suarez?!
What contract number would Suarez accept? Barring roster rule changes, he can’t be more expensive than the max-TAM figure (which was $1.651 million this year).
Suarez has been extremely productive for a Gremio side that is third in the Brazilian top flight. Beyond his goals and assists, Suarez’s underlying numbers are excellent: He’s in the 95th percentile or better in shots, assists, expected assists, shot-creating actions, progressive passes received and more.
FBref.com has a list of comparable players based on those underlying numbers. Suarez’s include Columbus Crew star Cucho Hernandez, reigning MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar and Tigres legend Andre-Pierre Gignac. Not bad.
Don’t make big-name mistakes
Suarez won’t be the only “big name” player that wants to come to Miami. Sergio Ramos did this summer too, but there was no room and (smartly) no concessions to offer a DP deal. He won’t be the last. Eden Hazard was floated as an option for months before he announced his retirement this week. Whether the reporting was based on reality or just fake rumors is almost beside the point because Miami will field these calls.
The Los Angeles and Miami teams get these inquiries at a disproportionate rate. It’s an asset when clubs do it correctly, but it can quickly become a detriment with bad decisions.
Go all-in on Champions Cup
Since his days with the Seattle Sounders, sporting director Chris Henderson has often left assets unused at the start of the season in order to make big moves in the summer.
Nico Lodeiro came to Seattle in the summer of 2016, sparking their run to win MLS Cup. Raul Ruidiaz came in 2018. Then Henderson led the most transformational summer transfer window in MLS history with Miami this year.
With Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, taking place over the first half of 2024, they should use all of their resources to make a run at that trophy. The Sounders did so in 2022, signing Albert Rusnak in free agency instead of holding a DP spot open for the summer, and became the first club to win the CONCACAF Champions League (now renamed Champions Cup).
(Photos: Getty Images)