Major League Soccer has opened an investigation into tampering allegations against Inter Miami just moments after the club unveiled its signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, casting an early shadow over what was meant to be a marquee announcement.
Miami confirmed Wednesday that the 34-year-old, who is departing Manchester United at season’s end, had agreed to a deal running through the close of the 2027 MLS season, with a club option to extend it to June 2029.
Shortly afterward, the league issued its own statement confirming it was reviewing a tampering complaint tied to the move, saying it was gathering relevant information and would hold off on further comment until the review concludes.
The league noted that while Inter Miami and the LA Galaxy have already struck a settlement over discovery priority, the rights that would have allowed a club first refusal on signing Casemiro, the specific terms of that agreement won’t be disclosed until the investigation wraps up.
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At the heart of the matter is the league’s discovery rights system, which grants a designated club exclusive first opportunity to sign a given player, with each team permitted to hold up to five names on its discovery list at any time. The Galaxy had held those rights to Casemiro, and Inter Miami said as part of Wednesday’s announcement that it had since acquired them from LA.
The Galaxy echoed that account in their own statement, confirming a settlement had been reached over the discovery priority while adding that full details would wait until MLS finishes its inquiry.
Casemiro’s exit from Manchester United was set in motion back in January, when he announced he’d leave Old Trafford once the 2026-27 season concludes, following a mutual decision not to extend his contract. Before joining United in 2022, he won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, and this summer he featured for Brazil as the team advanced to the World Cup’s round of 16.
Reflecting on his motivations, Casemiro said what drives him most, as he believes is true of most players, is winning and continuing to develop as a player. Across 160 appearances for United, he scored 26 goals, added 14 assists, and helped the club lift both the EFL Cup and FA Cup.
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With his departure looming, United have already moved to reinforce their midfield this transfer window, bringing in Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50 million and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million.
Before news of the MLS investigation broke, Inter Miami co-owner Sir David Beckham praised the signing, calling Casemiro a proven winner with an outstanding career at both Real Madrid and Manchester United and saying he was thrilled the midfielder had chosen Miami as his next chapter. At Inter Miami, Casemiro is expected to reunite with former Real Madrid and United teammate Sergio Reguilón, alongside World Cup finalists Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul of Argentina.
This isn’t the first time Inter Miami’s transfer business has drawn league scrutiny. In 2021, the club was fined $2 million after MLS found it had violated roster rules in its signing of French midfielder Blaise Matuidi from Juventus the year before, having paid him beyond what regulations allowed and effectively fielding four designated players instead of the permitted three.
Designated player salaries are exempt from counting against the league’s salary cap, a provision commonly known as the “Beckham Rule,” introduced when Beckham himself signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007.
