Understanding MLS Roster Rules As Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Likely To Be ‘Screwed’ on Deadline Day, As per High-Ranked Sporting Executive

With less than a week left before the MLS season starts, Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami face a significant predicament. The Herons find themself in a position where the club must either acquire additional allocation money, reduce its salary burden, or engage in outgoing transfers before the deadline day. Even rival clubs are well aware of the Miami side’s circumstances.

In fact, a prominent sporting executive from another club went as far as expressing to The Athletic, “They are screwed. Trust me.” Hence, it begs the question: What is this MLS roster rule that has placed Lionel Messi and his team in such a challenging position?

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami needs to act fast before MLS Matchday 1

In the MLS rulebook, a salary budget that applies to all teams. For the 2023 season, the senior roster had a base salary budget of $5.21 million. It’s expected that all teams should distribute salaries within these constraints. However, the league also provides monetary relief mechanisms known as General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). These financial provisions are essential for accommodating players whose compensation exceeds the maximum budget charge.

The question now arises as to how this rule poses a problem for Inter Miami. Well, in the previous season, David Beckham‘s side had ten players surpassing the peak budget constraint. It incorporated designated players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Gregore. Two other players, Josef Martinez and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, have since parted ways with the team.

Furthermore, Inter Miami has signed new players such as Luis Suarez, Julian Gressel, and Nicolas Freire. It’s important to note that transfer fees paid for these players are also factored into the budget charges. Consequently, the MLS side would be compelled to take significant measures to reduce its budget charges. Given this situation, what options does Inter Miami have to resolve this issue?

How can Inter Miami bounce back from this predicament?

The exact amount of allocation money required by Inter Miami is currently undisclosed. Nevertheless, to comply with the salary budget, Lionel Messi’s side will have to offload players who earn significantly high salaries. Moreover, this process must be expedited and finalized before February 20th, before their impending match against Real Salt Lake on February 21st.

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Presently available for transfer from the roster are Gregore, Jean Mota, DeAndre Yedlin, Robert Taylor, Corentin Jean, and Serhiy Kryvtsov. However, it has been reported that fellow MLS clubs are well-informed regarding the Heron’s critical situation and are therefore not offering high bids for these talented individuals. It is evident that Inter Miami needs to take swift action.

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