Kevin De Bruyne, the 34-year-old Manchester City star, is reportedly poised for a move to Inter Miami in the near future, with the Major League Soccer (MLS) club emerging as his most likely destination.
Inter Miami Set to Sign De Bruyne
According to recent reports from The Guardian, Kevin De Bruyne is strongly linked to a transfer to Inter Miami alongside David Beckham and Lionel Messi. The club has reportedly secured the Discovery Rights to De Bruyne, which gives them the exclusive right to negotiate with the Belgian midfielder if he chooses to join MLS.
Interestingly, these rights were originally held by San Diego FC, but earlier this year, De Bruyne was reportedly removed from their plans, paving the way for Inter Miami to step in and secure the rights.
Salary and MLS Salary Cap Challenges
One of the major hurdles in bringing De Bruyne to MLS is the salary cap system. De Bruyne currently earns around $25 million annually at Manchester City, significantly more than Lionel Messi, who earns $20 million in MLS. While the basic MLS salary cap is approximately $740,000, the Designated Player Rule (DP) allows teams to sign players outside this cap. However, Inter Miami has already used its three DP slots for Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
The solution, according to The Guardian, would likely involve De Bruyne signing a contract outside of the traditional DP framework. Inter Miami may opt to use General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM)—MLS mechanisms that allow teams to adjust player salaries to stay within the salary cap limits.
Currently, Inter Miami holds about $3.1 million in GAM, but the amount of TAM they have available remains unclear. Since they have already used TAM for several players, including Luis Suarez, it appears their flexibility is limited.
Potential Contract Options for De Bruyne
While Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jordi Alba have previously joined MLS teams under TAM contracts and later transitioned to Designated Player status, De Bruyne’s situation may be unique. Messi, Alba, and Busquets are all under contract until 2025, which could provide an opportunity for De Bruyne to secure DP status after that.
Ultimately, it will come down to De Bruyne’s willingness to negotiate a deal with Inter Miami and the club’s ability to work within the constraints of the salary cap. If successful, the pairing of De Bruyne with Messi could create one of the most exciting attacking duos in MLS history.
The Big Picture: De Bruyne and Messi in MLS
De Bruyne’s potential move to Inter Miami would reunite him with Messi in MLS, creating an “elite European combination” in North America. The prospect of seeing two of Europe’s most talented footballers play together in the U.S. would undoubtedly boost MLS's visibility and attract global attention.
As of now, the details of De Bruyne’s transfer to Inter Miami are still unfolding, but it is clear that this potential move could reshape the future of MLS and provide fans with exciting football in the years to come.
Stay tuned for more updates on Kevin De Bruyne’s potential move to Inter Miami and all the latest from MLS at USSportingNews
