Inter Miami have seen numerous stars depart during the offseason and the latest star linked with an exit is Facundo Farias.
The Argentine missed the whole of last season through injury and Farias has been linked with a swap deal away from the Herons.
If Farias was to leave he would join some pretty notable departures. Diego Gomez joined Brighton and Hove Albion while Leo Campana has joined MLS rivals the New England Revolution.
However, it appears that Farias could be staying put due to a rarely mentioned MLS rule.
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Inter Miami face Farias dilemma
While many clubs sell players to gain funds, Inter Miami face doing the exact opposite if they sell Farias.
Farias was heavily linked with a move to Racing but reports suggest that a deal is stalling between the two clubs for one major financial reason.
According to reports, there is a chance that the transfer will ultimately fall through due to a ‘fine’ that must be paid for removing a player under 23 from the MLS.
Farias occupies one of Inter Miami’s under-22 initiative slots and any sale would therefore result in a financial issue for the Herons.
Inter Miami manager Mascherano recently spoke on Farias’ future and stated that as long as he remains at the club they will count on him.
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MLS U22 Initiative explored
The MLS introduced an Under-22 initiative to the league in 2021 to invest in further young talent.
Each MLS team will have either three or four U22 Initiative roster slots available and to be added to the roster slot the player must be twenty-two years old or younger in the first year he is eligible to play in an MLS game.
This is something that Farias passed when he joined Inter Miami from Argentine side Colon. Players are allowed to remain on the roster slot until the age of 25.
Bringing in the initiative helps decrease the risk associated with acquiring or retaining players who are still approaching their prime by allowing clubs to sign their young stars to lucrative contracts at a reduced budget charge.
If Farias is transferred outside of the league Inter Miami would receive 95% of the transfer value but would need to pay any out-of-pocket money back to the league.
This appears to be the sticking point with Farias’ potential exit as paying out-of-pocket costs for a star you no longer possess is wasteful.