Inter Miami has rapidly become a destination for a host of former Barça stars, including Messi, Busquets, and most recently, Alba. This has set the stage for Inter Miami’s accelerated transformation into a “Barça-like” entity in the United States. The team continues to bolster its lineup, with the latest addition being Spanish defender Jordi Alba. Alba’s contract, which is valid until December 31, 2024, includes an option for an additional year.
“There’s no doubt, Jordi Alba is an all-around player with experience and competence on the field. We hope Alba will enhance the quality of Inter Miami’s squad. Furthermore, Alba’s presence will aid Inter Miami in achieving their goals this season,” stated Chris Henderson, Inter Miami’s Sporting Director. This addition reunites Alba with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami.
In fact, following the successful recruitment of Messi, Inter Miami embarked on a strategy to build the team around the Argentine superstar. A top priority for Inter Miami’s President, David Beckham, and his team was to assemble Messi’s former Barça companions. This can be seen as a vision to “Barça-fy” Inter Miami, stemming from the ambitions of the former English football legend Beckham and his leadership team at the club with considerable influence in Florida, USA. This is the driving force behind Beckham’s intensified efforts to acquire exceptional players who once stood beside Messi during his reign at Barça.
Following the signings of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, the next two targets in the “Barça-fication” process for Inter Miami are Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta. After leaving Barcelona, Andres Iniesta moved to Japan’s Vissel Kobe in February 2018, with an annual salary of up to €25 million. Iniesta played a crucial role in Vissel Kobe’s Emperor’s Cup victory in 2019 and the Japanese Super Cup win in 2020. Recently, Iniesta bid farewell to Vissel Kobe and became a free agent. Numerous sources indicate that Inter Miami has been in touch with Iniesta to attract the seasoned midfielder during this summer transfer window. With Iniesta currently without a club, the chances of Inter Miami securing his approval are high.
Concurrently, alongside discussions with Iniesta, Inter Miami has been engaging with the representatives of Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, yielding promising initial results. It’s worth noting that Suarez is under contract with Gremio until June 2024. In the previous season, Suarez scored 13 goals in 30 appearances for the Brazilian club. The key hurdle now is finding common ground between Inter Miami and Gremio regarding Suarez’s release clause. Once this obstacle is overcome, Suarez could quickly become a new member of Inter Miami.
With the inclusion of former Barça legends, Inter Miami’s team quality is poised for significant enhancement. Beyond elevating performance levels, this move also strengthens the team’s brand power.
The eagerly awaited implementation of “tiqui-taca,” the hallmark style of play associated with Barcelona, is anticipated to materialize at Inter Miami with the inclusion of all five former Barça stars in this summer’s transfers.
