Inter Miami just made a major breakthrough in its hunt to bring Luis Suarez to the club.
The South Florida side has been after the Uruguayan striker for months, but a deal has yet to be reached.
According to The Miami Herald in early December, it was reported that the former Barcelona forward was finalizing an agreement with the team.
However, with January inching closer, Suarez still hasn’t been officially announced.
Many fans are worried that the potential deal has fallen through.
Inter Miami inches closer to Suarez signing
‘Lucho’ has been open about his recent health struggles.
After playing his penultimate match for Brazilian team Gremio, Suarez spoke about the chronic knee pain that he suffers.
“The days before each game I take three pills and hours before playing I get an injection. If not, I can’t play. Hence the limp,” the attacker told Uruguayan radio station Sport 890.
“The truth is that the first steps in the morning are very painful. Anyone who sees me thinks that it is impossible for me to play a game. My son asks me to play with him and I can’t.”
Despite the painful ailment, Suarez still managed to become the Campeonato Brasileiro’s second-highest scorer, netting 17 in league play.
It’s evident that the 36-year-old has plenty to give on the pitch regardless of health.
There’s a reason why Miami is still after Suarez’s services, even though his knee pain is a reoccurring issue.
During the MLS SuperDraft on December 19th, Inter Miami traded its third spot on the draft board for $250K in General Allocation Money (GAM.)
GAM is an MLS mechanism that allows teams to buy down certain contracts if extra cap space is needed.
With the General Allocation Money at its disposal, Miami will be able to buy down select contracts on its roster to fit Suarez’s salary.
The Miami Herald states that this move will help the Herons close the deal to bring the Uruguayan, and free agent Julian Gressel to the club in the next few weeks.