Inter Miami Faces MLS Tampering Probe Over Casemiro Signing
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- Inter Miami signed 34-year-old Brazil midfielder Casemiro on a deal running through the end of the 2027 MLS season, with an option to extend until June 2029.
- MLS announced it is investigating tampering allegations against Inter Miami, saying the league is "gathering all relevant information" and would refrain from further comment until the review is complete.
- LA Galaxy had held the discovery rights to Casemiro; the two clubs reached a settlement for those rights, but the terms will remain sealed until the tampering investigation concludes.
- Casemiro left Manchester United at the end of last season after a mutual decision not to renew his contract, having won five Champions League titles at Real Madrid and played for Brazil as they reached the World Cup last 16 this summer.
- Manchester United have moved to replace Casemiro in midfield, signing Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50m and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m.
- Inter Miami were previously fined $2m in 2021 for breaching MLS rules by effectively fielding four designated players rather than the permitted three when signing France's Blaise Matuidi from Juventus.
- At Miami, Casemiro is set to join former Real Madrid and Manchester United teammate Sergio Reguilon, as well as Argentina duo Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul.
Why it matters: The tampering probe lands on a club — co-owned by David Beckham, the very player whose 2007 move to LA Galaxy inspired MLS's "Beckham rule" on designated players — that was already fined $2m in 2021 for a related roster-rules breach over Blaise Matuidi. Because the Galaxy–Miami settlement terms are explicitly held back until the investigation wraps, the league's ruling will determine what Inter Miami actually paid to land a 34-year-old coming off a Manchester United exit.
