Inter Miami's signing of Rodrigo De Paul has made the rest of MLS uncomfortable.
In theory, all teams follow the same set of salary limit rules. This makes it extremely difficult to build a squad with a squad of expensive stars, if not impossible.
To be honest, no team in the current MLS regulations can own Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul. However, Miami has been wise to "circumvent" the rules appropriately.
Specifically, Inter Miami has eased De Paul's salary burden this year by sending him on loan, with a buy-in clause from Atletico Madrid in 2026.
At that time, De Paul was expected to become a designated player ( Designated Player), possibly replacing Sergio Busquets in the salary fund. In other words, Miami is paying less now, and will pay more later.
De Paul is said to have committed to a long-term future at South Beach, with speculation about a contract extension until 2029. That means he could become the foundation for the next generation of Inter Miami, after the Messi, Busquets and Suarez era ends.
But that is the story of the future. But now, Inter Miami has had a blockbuster contract in a clever way. De Paul is not only a quality addition, but also a testament to his ability to creatively apply regulations designed to prevent MLS teams from "getting the stars".
Inter Miami see De Paul as a perfect choice. There are many global stars who may have agreed to "financial flexible" deals just to play alongside Lionel Messi. However, it was De Paul who was most suitable for the role Miami needed.
It all started with the basics in the tactical diagram. Under coach Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami has made adjustments, but the core system is still 4-4-2.
The defense was mostly kept intact. The attack does not need to argue with Messi and Suarez are the default pair. But the midfield area is the place to determine success or failure, and also the place where De Paul proves his worth.
Busquets is still an indispensable name in the anchor position. However, to compensate for his declining speed and defensive ability, Miami needs players with good physical strength, ready to cover the pitch and support both sides.
Yannick Bright was once a favorite name under Tata Martino, but Mascherano used him cautiously. However, there are still two positions in midfield, which is a competition between Telasco Segovia, Tadeo Allende and Benjamin Cremaschi. And now there's De Paul.
In the most recent match against Atlas, Mascherano showed what many people were looking forward to when he replaced Bright with De Paul. Miami moved to a 4-2-3-1 formation, placing De Paul paired with Busquets in the center of midfield.
De Paul is not only a quality addition, he is also a bridge between the top past (Messi, Busquets, Suarez) and the future that Mascherano is trying to build.
