Inter Miami made a surprising trade earlier this month with Leonardo Campana’s departure from Chase Stadium to the New England Revolution.
The Ecuador international was one of Inter Miami’s three Designated Players with the former Wolves star a regular for the Herons this year under Tata Martino, with Campana establishing himself as the main backup attacker for Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
With Campana penning an emotional message to Inter Miami fans, the striker’s departure came as a shock to some given how much soccer the 24-year-old player this year for the Florida franchise and the impact the forward had on the pitch.
Yet Campana has now shared what role Suarez played in his decision to leave Inter Miami.
Suarez limited Campana’s opportunities for being ‘the best striker’ in the world
Speaking to EFE, the Ecuador international shared that Suarez limited Campana’s game time at Inter Miami due to the 37-year-old attacker being ‘the best striker of the last ten years’, with the veteran the top scorer for the Herons in 2024.
With Campana previously stating how much he loved training with Suarez at Inter Miami, the attacker’s comments will not come across as jealousy or content, with the 24-year-old seemingly aware that minutes were going to be hard to come by in 2025 with the former Uruguay international signing on.
And for Campana, moving on to become a starter elsewhere in MLS could be the right decision for the attacker’s career, especially with Javier Mascherano likely eyeing Suarez as his main striker for the 2025 season.
Campana said: “I know that I haven’t had many opportunities because of Luis, who for me has been the best striker of the last ten years. It’s not a question of my level, but rather that Luis has obviously always been a scorer in the teams he’s been on, and now he’s renewed his contract.”
Inter Miami will need to find a replacement for Campana in January
Although Campana wasn’t the biggest name in Inter Miami’s squad, the former Wolves man was certainly one of the most important, with the striker making 35 appearances in all competitions and scoring nine goals for the Herons.
And with Mascherano now at the helm, the Argentine coach is fully aware that he will need to sign a replacement for Campana, with Messi and Suarez simply unable to hold up the weight of leading Inter Miami’s attack by themselves.
Indeed, Campana staying on for another year might have been the more beneficial move for Inter Miami heading into 2025, yet with the striker now gone, a replacement must be signed if the Florida franchise are to compete next year.