Inter Miami have allowed a number of key players from last season to leave, with Leonardo Campana arguably the most surprising departure.
The Ecuador international was one of the most important players in Tata Martino’s Inter Miami squad last year as Campana established himself as the main backup attacker for both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, scoring nine goals in the process.
Despite this, Campana was sold to the New England Revolution, with the striker revealing that he left Inter Miami in order to forge a career of his own making without having to piggyback off the likes of Messi and Suarez.
And Campana has now made an interesting claim regarding Messi and one of his new Revolution teammates.
Campana says he’ll score more goals playing alongside Carles Gil
Speaking to Deporte Total USA, the former Inter Miami striker claimed he will score more goals playing alongside New England winger Carles Gil than Messi, with Campana excited to get going with his new club this season.
A former MLS MVP winner, Gil has been one of the best attackers and creators in MLS since making the move to New England in 2019, and for Campana, the 24-year-old forward believes his new Spanish teammate will help provide him with the goals needed to really get his career on track.
Campana said when asked about playing for New England and what his thoughts were on teaming up with Messi at Inter Miami: “Leo Messi is Leo Messi, it was great playing with him and a huge dream to be in the dressing room with him and to see him every day.
“But as I’ve said, I needed to take a step out of there and to focus on me and my desires to play, have more minutes and to score more goals, and playing with Carles [Gil], it will be a lot easier to achieve those things.”
How good was Campana for Inter Miami?
Campana’s comments on scoring more goals alongside Gil compared to Messi might seem very farfetched given that that Inter Miami no. 10 is considered by many as one of the greatest playmakers of all time, as well as one of the best goalscorers.
Yet during his time in Florida, the South American proved he was a reliable source of goals for the Chase Stadium side, with Campana becoming Inter Miami’s all-time leading goalscorer for a brief time last season before Suarez and Messi overtook the former Wolves star.
Indeed, Campana is within his right to demand more from his career than just being a backup to Messi at Inter Miami, and at New England, the striker can do just that, especially if he clicks with Gil for the Revolution next season.