Major League Soccer has launched an investigation into Inter Miami CF for alleged tampering related to the signing of former Manchester United midfielder Casemiro. The league confirmed it is gathering information regarding how Miami acquired the discovery rights for the 34-year-old Brazilian international from LA Galaxy.
Inter Miami announced Casemiro's signing, a deal that runs until the end of next season with an option to extend until 2029, on Wednesday. However, MLS immediately stated its intent to review the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of his discovery rights, which grant clubs first refusal on prospective signings.
While Inter Miami and LA Galaxy have reportedly reached a settlement of approximately £750,000 for the discovery priority, the terms will not be released until the tampering investigation is concluded. MLS stated it will refrain from further comment until the review is complete.
This is not the first time Inter Miami has faced scrutiny over financial regulations. In 2021, the club was fined £1.5 million for misrepresenting Blaise Matuidi's salary. That incident also resulted in the suspension of chief operating officer Paul McDonough for one year and a fine of £187,000 for managing owner Jorge Mas. The club was subsequently penalized an additional £1.7 million for similar breaches involving players Andres Reyes, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Nicolas Figal, and Julian Carranza.
Casemiro joins Inter Miami as a free agent after spending four years at Manchester United, whose contract with the player was not extended. The midfielder previously played for Real Madrid and represented Brazil in the recent World Cup, where the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals.