One of the ongoing themes of the Lionel Messi era at Inter Miami C.F. has been a kind of reunion of figures associated with Messi’s long stint at Barcelona. Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino coached Messi there, and both Jordi Alba and Leonardo Campana also put in long stints alongside Messi at Camp Nou. Now, with the offseason departure of striker Josef Martínez, another player with a long history with Inter Miami’s captain seems poised to make a move to MLS: Luis Suárez.
Citing “sources in Uruguay,” ESPN reported that Inter Miami had reached an agreement with Luis Suárez to be the latest Barcelona alumnus to ply their trade at DRV PNK Stadium. Suárez is currently playing for the Brazilian club Grêmio; he played alongside Messi at Barcelona from 2014 through 2020.
Luis Suárez is — how best to phrase this? — something of a chaotic presence on the pitch. There’s the matter of him biting opponents, for one thing. (This has happened multiple times.) There was also the moment during the 2010 World Cup when his Uruguay side played Ghana, and Suárez swatted a shot on goal off target, drawing him an immediate red card — but also saving the game for his national team.
The idea of Luis Suárez joining Inter Miami isn’t exactly a shocking move — he’s long been open to the idea of playing in MLS, and Martino mentioned the club’s renewed interest in him last month. Because of MLS’s roster and salary rules, the process of getting Suárez to Miami isn’t as easy as simply signing a contract — hence why this is likely happening after Martínez’s departure.
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A look inside the making of the new Apple TV+ seriesThis isn’t a signed deal yet — as ESPN reported on Friday, Suárez has yet to sign the contract. But Suárez making his way to MLS has always seemed like a matter of “when” more than “if” — and this news brings us even closer to that moment. And for longtime fans of Barcelona’s 2010s team, it’s another piece in a growing reunion.
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