Inter Miami is the preferred destination for Casemiro, with the MLS club close to securing the veteran midfielder from Manchester United, who has announced his departure at the end of his contract, according to The Athletic. Sources close to the process indicate that despite the interest from LA Galaxy, the player's desire is likely to prevail.

Regulatory Challenges

The transfer faces a significant regulatory hurdle. LA Galaxy holds the discovery rights for Casemiro—a mechanism in MLS that gives them priority in negotiations. The Los Angeles club has conducted several talks with the player and his representatives, even presenting multiple contract offers in hopes of convincing him to join them in California. This rule aims to prevent simultaneous negotiations by multiple MLS clubs for the same athlete.

Possible Solutions

The question of discovery rights remains unresolved. These impasses are typically resolved through financial compensation. A precedent occurred two years ago with Marco Reus: Charlotte FC held his rights and offered more money, but the player chose LA Galaxy, which paid 400,000 euros to Charlotte to close the deal.

Another challenge for Inter Miami is the salary cap. The club does not have a free slot for a "Designated Player" (DP), meaning Casemiro's contract would need to be below 2 million euros for the season, unless one of the current DPs (Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, or Germán Berterame) leaves. Interestingly, LA Galaxy also lacks a free DP slot.

The solution could be through a contract structure similar to that used with Jordi Alba in 2023. Inter Miami could propose a contract with a non-guaranteed option that would elevate Casemiro to DP status as soon as a slot becomes available in the team.

At 34, Casemiro comes off a strong season with Manchester United, where he scored nine goals in 33 matches as a starter, key to the team's third-place finish and qualification for the Champions League. The midfielder, who has 84 caps for the Brazilian national team, was also called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the World Cup this summer.

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