Inter Miami might have only been founded in 2018, yet the Herons have already left an incredible footprint on MLS and the league’s reputation.
Last year’s capture of Lionel Messi transformed the perspective of soccer in the United States in a big way, with Inter Miami going one step further with this deal and adding Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.
With this summer seeing Inter Miami linked with James Rodriguez and Sergio Ramos, the Herons are far from done in recruiting superstar names for their roster, with the supporting cast also pulling their weight this year.
Yet one former Inter Miami player could now be set for a return to MLS this summer.
LA Galaxy closing in on former Inter Miami defender Nicolas Figal
According to El Observador, the LA Galaxy are close to reaching an agreement to sign former Inter Miami defender Nicolas Figal, who spent two years in Florida before joining Argentina giants Boca Juniors.
Hailed as an ‘impressive’ center-back, Figal has made close to 100 appearances for the South American titans since returning to Argentina in 2022, with the defender enjoying relative success with Boca since departing Inter Miami.
However, the 30-year-old defender now looks set to return to MLS this summer, with a move to California being finalized as the Galaxy look to add Figal looking ahead to the post-season play-offs later this year.
Indeed, the news will come as a blow for Inter Miami given the links the defender has to the Florida franchise, and Figal joining an MLS Cup rival could end up having consequences for the Herons should the two sides meet at the end of this year.
Inter Miami need to show they’ve evolved way past Figal
Inter Miami’s defense has been an enigma this season, mainly due to injuries with Nicolas Freire out for the year coupled with Tomas Aviles struggling with fitness issues throughout the campaign.
And with Figal set to return to MLS this summer via the Galaxy, Inter Miami need to show they’ve evolved from the Argentine defender, who will become a direct rival for the Herons heading into the post-season.
There’s a real chance that Inter Miami could mee the Galaxy in the MLS Cup final come the end of the year, and the Florida giants will want to show their former star Figal that they’ve come a long way since his departure in 2022.