Home » Inter Miami Need Superstar Signings to Revive Debut MLS Campaign

Inter Miami Need Superstar Signings to Revive Debut MLS Campaign

By  //  August 23, 2020

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Even before they kicked a ball competitively, the height expectations for Inter Miami were pretty much stratospheric. (Inter Miami FC image)

Even before they kicked a ball competitively, the height expectations for Inter Miami were pretty much stratospheric.

When you have a stellar soccer legend like David Beckham as the owner, that was always going to be the case, ever since he took on the challenge of establishing the newest MLS franchise.

It’s a journey that has been long and fraught with difficulty, not least trying to lay firm roots with a new stadium and training base in Miami. Provisionally expected to be ready by 2022, Miami Freedom Park is an ambitious 25,000 soccer stadium project, surrounded by a host of other features.

Whether that project is delivered on time remains to be seen, which means that temporary home for the next couple of seasons is a swiftly built venue in Fort Lauderdale.

Aiming to end a losing start

On the pitch, despite all the enthusiasm that comes with an inaugural season, Inter Miami have been somewhat less than impressive insofar as results are concerned.

Coached by Diego Alonso, the team lost their opening two encounters of the MLS regular season, 1-0 at Los Angeles FC and 2-1 at DC United, before the campaign was paused due to the COVID-19 outbreak that brought practically all sports across North America to a halt.

When the MLS is Back tournament offered an eagerly anticipated return for soccer, unfortunately, the defeats continued for Inter Miami. In the group stage they lost all three games, 2-1 against local rivals Orlando City, 2-1 against Philadelphia Union, then 1-0 against New York City FC.

Despite the franchise losing all five of their first competitive fixtures, there are hopes the team can turn the corner.

After all, this is a newly formed squad that will need some time to gel. According to OLBG and sportsbooks operating across the United States, Inter Miami are set for a long and arduous season over the coming months, as the MLS regular season resumes.

Although lots of planning went into assembling the current squad of players, there’s a strong belief that some key ingredients are still missing in this Inter Miami squad.

Notably, many experts and pundits covering the MLS are of the opinion that to improve performances, the team desperately needs a player who can inspire everyone else, which means landing an internationally renowned superstar.

Miami still needs a world-class megastar

Think of David Beckham himself at Los Angeles Galaxy or perhaps more recently, the impressive impact made by Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the same franchise.

Think of Wayne Rooney running rivals ragged playing for DC United or maybe even another former Manchester United star currently strutting his stuff in the MLS, with Portuguese star Luis Nani absolutely nailing it with Orlando City, the Florida soccer rivals of Miami who reached the final at MLS is Back.

Look at the spicy talents that have arrived from Spain’s LaLiga in recent years, with Mexican magician Carlos Vela at Los Angeles FC ranked as the best player in the MLS, his compatriots Jonathan dos Santos who is bossing the LA Galaxy midfield or Chicharito who is also there to bang in the goals.

There’s also the pleasure of watching Spanish playmakers like Carles Gil at New England Revolution or Alejandro Pozuelo at Toronto FC; both of whom can turn games in an instant with their creativity and vision.

There are lots of great examples there and countless more could just as easily be highlighted, although the key point here is that Miami have yet to acquire their very own megastar name. Sure, they spent big bucks to bring in Mexican international Rodolfo Pizarro and he’s an excellent player, who is undoubtedly going to become crucial as the team looks to improve.

However, what Miami really need to boost their performances is that megastar player who can inspire those around him and as often observed in other MLS teams, single-handedly get results with stellar performances.

The most successful MLS imports have most frequently arrived from European soccer, and without devaluing the quality of soccer played in the Americas or elsewhere around the world, that’s where the very highest level of competitive football is played.

Few leagues can compare with the competitiveness of the Premier League in England, LaLiga in Spain, the Bundesliga in Germany, or Serie A in Italy. These are also domestic leagues that regularly produce teams making deep runs or eventual winners of the Champions League and Europa League.

Finding the pearl in an ocean of talent

Perhaps the most notable difference with this current transfer is that compared to previous years, largely due to much rescheduling in the MLS and elsewhere over recent months, it coincides with transfer windows across Europe.

Having opened on August 12, this transfer window will run through until October 29, giving Inter Miami plenty of time to negotiate deals with any new arrivals.

That said, Beckham and Miami will be keen to get one or two players in as quickly as possible, hoping for an instant impact that could turn their season around.

According to the Miami Herald, there are several exciting targets who feature on a lengthy list of potential signings. Amongst the top names is combative Barcelona star Arturo Vidal, with the Chilean international possibly on the move once their participation in the Champions League is resolved.

Meanwhile, the franchise have reportedly agreed a deal with Blaise Matuidi, the powerful French international midfielder and World Cup winner, who recently departed Serie A champions Juventus.

While there has been talk of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo joining in the future, signing one of the two best players in world soccer is unlikely to happen. Perhaps the most tantalizing target that could be within realistic reach is Colombian star James Rodriguez, who is currently surplus to requirements at Real Madrid.

He would be an ideal fit for Inter Miami, especially amongst the Latin fanbase around the city, not to mention the impressive level of quality the 28-year-old would add to the team, still at his professional peak.

Whichever direction the franchise ends up taking with their transfer moves, disappointing results thus far mean there’s an added sense of urgency. Hopefully in the coming weeks, Inter Miami will be making at least one or two key signings to boost their fortunes for the season ahead.

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