مدير عام كرة القدم
- Gomez says Miami need to upgrade midfield
- De Paul would provide immediate quality and necessary "legs" in central areas
- Analyst sees transfer as key to retaining Messi
Former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez assessed both the sporting and strategic dimensions of Inter Miami reportedly signing Rodrigo De Paul on loan. Gomez emphasized that Miami’s midfield has been exposed against higher-level competition in MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup, identifying De Paul as an ideal solution to compete at higher levels.
“Rodrigo De Paul, Atletico Madrid midfielder, كأس العالم champion, 31 years of age to Inter Miami is a go….and [Lionel] Messi gets his enforcer, gets his bodyguard to Inter Miami,” Gomez said on his YouTube channel. “One of the best midfielders in La Liga, a prime player not only for Atletico, but for the Argentine national team, a no-brainer if you’re Inter Miami, absolutely.”
He added, “Inter Miami, you needed legs. You clearly have a midfield that can’t keep up with some of the better teams in MLS, can’t keep up with some of the better teams in CONCACAF, and even though it showed respectability at the Club World Cup, it was evident it needed a change. Evident that it needed fresh legs. Well, don’t get much fresher and quite frankly talented as they come in Rodrigo de Paul. An enforcer, if you will, Messi’s bodyguard as he has been portrayed. A protector, a facilitator, first one to spring the attack, there to clean things up. A guy that is not scared to roll up the sleeves and get dirty for his team and has a lot of quality to his game in the offensive third as well, underrated.”
De Paul is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in world soccer and was named to La Liga’s Team of the Season after the last campaign.
The analyst framed the potential signing as part of a broader organizational strategy focused on keeping Messi content through key upcoming milestones.
“But it’s not really Inter Miami or what it means for Inter Miami, but much more, what it means to الدوري الأمريكي لكرة القدم,” Gomez explained.“What you’re doing here is you’re trying to keep Messi happy, you’re trying to show Messi that there is change. You’re trying to enact what could possibly come. We’ve all seen Messi frustrated with Inter Miami, with his teammates…but you needed to change. You need to show Messi you were serious going forward. MLS has a lot of things to change.”
Gomez believes the Club World Cup as a tournament was an eye-opener, but it also showcases that Messi and his team wanted more quality.
They desperately want more quality on the field. They understand that the salary cap is limiting their team and, in turn, MLS, and I agree with them.” Gomez explained. “But this is more about ensuring Messi stays in Major League Soccer. This is more about ensuring Messi stays for the opening of that brand new stadium in Miami. He’s instrumental to the future of Major League Soccer and Inter Miami.”
Gomez also argued that Messi has plenty to lose if he left MLS, due to the financial implications that are at stake.
“Yeah, he has part of that franchise. He’s got the rights going forward, he’s got some stock in it, the MLS season’s subscription as well. If he leaves, that goes down, his stock in Inter Miami goes down, he loses money, and I’m sure Messi doesn’t need money, but it’s vital for MLS,” he said. “So this was a step in that direction to keep Messi happy.”
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Inter Miami’s aggressive pursuit of De Paul, a World Cup-winning midfielder who remains a regular starter for Atletico Madrid, represents a significant escalation in MLS recruitment ambitions. It further positions Miami as a destination capable of attracting elite talent still in their prime playing years.
If completed, De Paul would likely join Inter Miami once officially, as the summer transfer window between European clubs and clubs from outside Europe is still open.
