Another signing for Inter Miami! Lionel Messi's side agree deal for River Plate defender Hector David Martinez

Throughout the summer, Inter Miami have been actively searching for a central defender, as Nicolas Freire has been sidelined for the year with an ACL injury. They have been linked with high-profile free agents like Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos but with little progress. In their search, the Herons have now turned their attention to River Plate and believe they have found a suitable candidate in Martínez - the Paraguayan international, according to TyC Sports.

The report mentions that the deal with River Plate involves a one-year loan for Martínez, with an option for Inter Miami to make the transfer permanent in 2025 for $3 million (£2.30m). He is a seasoned player with 11 caps for the Paraguay national team but has had a limited role at River Plate this season, making just five appearances in all competitions, totalling only 182 minutes of play.

Martinez was linked with a move to Mexican side Pumas but the deal fell through. This allowed Inter Miami to swoop in and put in a bid for the 26-year-old defender.

Inter Miami's acquisition of Martínez adds to their growing contingent of Paraguayan players, including Diego Gomez and Matias Rojas. They will hope that Martinez can adapt to the team as quickly as possible to plug their leaky defence which has conceded 37 times in 23 league outings.