Inter Miami: The uncertainty of chasing the big-name European stars
By Sam Minton
Inter Miami continue to go after big-name European players. But will these possible moves actually work out or is it a bygone approach in MLS?
Inter Miami hasn’t had the best debut season. They have yet to win a game. Even worse, they became the only team to lose their first five games in Major League Soccer. That is a rather atrocious statistics, and things don’t look like they are getting any better.
The MLS is Back Tournament gave Miami a chance to forget about their 0-2 start to the regular season. All they did down in Orlando was continue to play poorly.
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It’s clear that they need to get better. But how? The strategy for David Beckham and co. continues to be to go after big names over in Europe. A lot of these players are older, coming towards the end of their careers as they abandon their European dreams. It reminds you of Zlatan Ibrahimovic making his way to LA Galaxy or Frank Lampard in New York or Beckham himself many years ago.
One of the names who has popped up is Luis Suarez. According to Mundo Deportivo via ESPN, Miami has made an offer for the Barcelona striker. Now, of course, this looks intriguing. Suarez is a well-known striker and landing the former Barcelona man would be pretty impressive. He has scored almost 200 goals for Barcelona and is only behind Lionel Messi and Cesar Rodriguez in all-time scoring. He is a world-class player who has flourished at the highest level throughout his career. Big-name European stars often are.
The problem, however, is that Suarez is 33 years old. Will his body be able to hold up over in the States? He might embrace the physical play, but how long will he be able to last?
Another name that has been linked to Miami is Willian. This seems to be a much more interesting move. The Brazilian winger has reportedly received a very lucrative offer from Miami. Compared to Suarez, Willian is only 31 years old and he could be very successful in MLS. This season, he scored11 goals in all competitions.
He is a dynamic player that still has the skills and physical ability to succeed in MLS. His pace on the wing would make him a great addition.
The question is how much will it cost? According to Sky Sports, Beckham is outspending Barcelona. Would an MLS club even be able to do such a thing and how would this affect the future of the club?
Inter Miami needs to start producing or else they could be in trouble. There may not be relegation but fans aren’t going to come to games when all the team does is lose. Players such as Rodolfo Pizzaro must start delivering on their talent, while Diego Alonso has to begin to form a structure in which the players can begin to shine. Thus far, it hasn’t worked out.
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And so, Miami going after older players in Europe might get their name in the news, but will it translate to success on the pitch? That is yet to be answered.