Inter Miami have reportedly failed in their pursuit to sign former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, with the player set to remain at Brazilian club Gremio.
Suarez was reportedly keen on a move to link up with his former teammates Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, but Miami have failed to reach an agreement with his club.
ESPN have reported that Suarez will remain at his club for another year, despite Miami buying another International roster slot to accomodate his arrival, and a move will not happen for now.
It now remains to be seen whether Miami use their vacant slot on another big name, with Andres Iniesta and Paul Pogba both linked with moves to the club.
Miami recorded their first league victory in 12 games with a 4-0 win against Atlanta, with Messi scoring twice on his debut, but still remain bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Who could Miami go for now?
Suarez was initially targeted by Miami because of his Barcelona connection, and the fact that he was still performing well despite his age.
During his prime, Messi described him as “the best” striker in the world, and he was one of the Argentinian’s favourite attacking partners, helping win a historic treble in 2015.
With the international roster slot available, a move for Iniesta is possible, but the 39-year-old is a lot further removed from top level football than the other superstars in the Miami team, and it is unclear how well his fitness would hold up in the MLS.
David De Gea, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Rodriguez are some of the biggest names available as free agents right now, and perhaps a move to Miami could be suitable for any of them as they aim to play regular minutes next season.
The presence of Messi in particular, could help attract another big name to the club, especially one with previous history at Barcelona, but losing out on a deal for Suarez is a blow for Miami.