Inter Miami land Casemiro but MLS immediately launches tampering investigation into blockbuster free transfer

Inter Miami have successfully signed Casemiro on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester United.

However, the celebrations have been quickly interrupted as Major League Soccer have initiated a formal tampering review. LA Galaxy filed a claim regarding the transfer, as they held the discovery priority rights for Casemiro.

Addressing the controversy, the league stated: "Major League Soccer is reviewing a tampering allegation against Inter Miami CF. The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete. While Inter Miami CF and the LA Galaxy have reached a settlement for the Discovery Priority to sign Casemiro, the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation."

Under MLS rules, clubs can hold exclusive negotiation rights for certain targets. Because LA Galaxy possessed these rights for Casemiro, Inter Miami were required to acquire them before initiating contact.

Although the two clubs have now agreed on a settlement, the tampering probe remains active. Inter Miami have faced severe disciplinary action from the league previously. In 2021, MLS discovered the club had violated salary cap rules regarding the signing of Blaise Matuidi.

Consequently, Inter Miami were fined a record $2 million, while managing owner Jorge Mas received an additional $250,000 penalty. The club were also docked over $2.27m in allocation money, highlighting a concerning history of administrative breaches for the franchise.

Despite the looming investigation, Inter Miami have expressed immense pride in securing Casemiro. The midfielder enjoyed an excellent recent season for United, where he scored nine goals and helped secure Champions League qualification.

He joins Inter Miami on a non-Designated Player deal initially, signing a contract through the summer of 2027. Mas publicly celebrated the signing, stating: "Casemiro’s arrival reflects the vision and ambition that define Inter Miami. We never settle. We’re always looking to grow, improve, and raise our standards every season. We’ve built a global club with the vision of becoming not only the best club in the United States, but also a benchmark globally."

Inter Miami play their first match following the World Cup break on Wednesday against Chicago Fire. While Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul remain inactive following their international duties, fans will eagerly await to see if Casemiro will feature. Meanwhile, the club must await the official findings of the MLS investigation, which could result in further substantial penalties.