More new team-mates for Lionel Messi! Inter Miami looking to reinforcements after frustration of being snubbed by Boca Juniors’ former Man Utd defender Marcos Rojo

The MLS off season always brings with it sweeping change, and life is no different at DRV PNK Stadium than it is anywhere else. There have been departures in Florida, while veteran Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez has been reunited with former Barcelona team-mates Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in the United States.

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Inter Miami have also been able to acquire USMNT star Julian Gressel – a two-time MLS Cup winner – and have other gaps to fill on their roster. They had hoped to lure former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo away from Boca Juniors, but the no-nonsense Argentine has decided to remain in his homeland.

Martino has told ESPN of the ongoing search for fresh faces, with further movement to be expected: “Julian Gressel has arrived, I know him from my time in Atlanta, we have chosen him in our first draft. I think the league hasn’t moved much, so I think there are going to be some more changes. The teams are just about start the pre-season, it occurs to me that we ourselves are also in certain searches: we have lost Kamal Miller, our second central defender. Marcos Rojo has not been able to be done, but we are in the search to complete a team that has three very important fronts to compete on this year. The truth is that we intend to be competitive.”

David Beckham, as a co-owner at Inter Miami, is among those expected to make notable additions possible. He will continue to work behind the scenes as Messi and the rest of Martino’s squad head into a busy run of pre-season fixtures that includes friendly dates with the likes of El Salvador, a Hong Kong Select XI, Newell’s Old Boys and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.