Author: Barkha Roy
Inter Miami’s ambitious plans to reunite former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets with Luis Suárez appear to have reached an impasse. Grêmio coach Renato Portaluppi has put an end to speculation about Suárez’s possible move to Major League Soccer (MLS), confirming that the Uruguayan striker will remain at Grêmio until at least December.
Portaluppi, in an interview with Sport TV, spoke highly of Suárez’s importance to the team and ruled out any possibility of the striker going to Inter Miami. The news comes as a blow to the US team, owned by David Beckham, who had been actively seeking out players linked to Messi in an effort to create an ideal environment for the Argentine star in the MLS.
Earlier this summer, Inter Miami made headlines with the signings of Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets from Barcelona. Messi’s move to the MLS team came after the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Argentine and Busquets made their Inter Miami debuts against Cruz Azul, with Messi scoring a dramatic late goal to secure a thrilling 2-1 victory.
Last week, Inter Miami completed another reunion with the acquisition of Spanish full-back Jordi Alba, who joins his former Barcelona teammates Messi and Busquets at the club. However, Suárez’s long-awaited reunion with Messi at Inter Miami will not take place for the time being, as Grêmio have made it clear that he will remain in Brazil for the next six months.
It was believed that Suárez, who had returned to his former club Nacional in Uruguay last year, had initially considered a move to the MLS earlier this year. Instead, he joined Brazilian side Grêmio on a free transfer in January. Despite his impressive goalscoring record for the Brazilian club, Suárez has been struggling with a right knee injury that has affected his availability for some matches.
Inter Miami’s pursuit of Suárez was seen as an attempt to form a dream team with Messi’s former teammates, including players like Suárez, Busquets and Alba. Co-owner Jorge Mas had expressed interest in the possibility of bringing Suárez to the MLS team, although any deal would probably involve a significant financial commitment.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Inter Miami would have to pay Suárez’s US$70 million release clause to secure the transfer, a figure considered astronomical given the player’s age and injury concerns. Although there have been reports that Suárez was willing to buy out his contract in order to meet with Messi, Gremio’s current situation has thrown any possibility of a meeting into doubt.
With Suárez’s immediate future set at Gremio, Inter Miami will have to explore alternative options to further strengthen their squad ahead of the MLS season. While Messi, Busquets and Alba have already added firepower to the team, the club’s quest for success continues as they try to make an impact in the highly competitive MLS.