MLS reviews Inter Miami tampering claim after Casemiro deal
MLS says it is examining an allegation involving Inter Miami’s move for Casemiro, even after the club settled discovery rights with LA Galaxy.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Major League Soccer is still looking into an allegation that Inter Miami tampered in its pursuit of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, ESPN reported, even though Miami and the LA Galaxy have already struck a deal over his MLS discovery rights.
The league said it is collecting information and will not say more until that process is finished. MLS also said the terms of the settlement between Inter Miami and the Galaxy will be made public after the tampering review ends, according to ESPN.
Sources told ESPN that the Galaxy filed the claim with MLS, alleging Inter Miami had contact with Casemiro before securing the player’s Discovery Priority. The allegation has not been decided by the league.
ESPN did not report a separate response from Inter Miami to the tampering allegation. The Galaxy’s claim was described by ESPN as coming from sources familiar with the matter.
Why discovery rights matter
MLS has its own transfer machinery, and the discovery list is one of the gears. Under league rules cited by ESPN, each club can place as many as five players on a discovery list at one time.
Once a player is on that list, the club with priority gets the first shot at opening talks with him without another MLS team jumping in. In Casemiro’s case, ESPN reported that the Galaxy held Discovery Priority, meaning Inter Miami had to obtain those rights before completing the signing.
The rules also set out a path when one team wants a player already held on another club’s discovery list. ESPN cited MLS rules saying the interested club may offer $50,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for the right to sign the player.
The club holding the discovery rights then has a deadline to decide. According to the rules cited by ESPN, it has five days, or three days during the Secondary Transfer Window, to either take the allocation money and give up the right or make the player a genuine and objectively reasonable offer.
Casemiro signs in Miami
After the settlement with the Galaxy, Inter Miami completed Casemiro’s signing, ESPN reported. His contract runs through the end of the 2027 MLS sprint season and includes an option that could extend the deal through June 2029.
Casemiro arrives as one of the most recognizable midfielders linked to MLS in this move. ESPN identified him as a former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder.
The league review now sits over the deal as the next step. MLS has not announced a finding, a punishment or a timetable for when the review will be finished, according to ESPN’s account of the league’s statements.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.