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With just weeks remaining at Manchester United, Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro is weighing his options for his next career move, and multiple MLS clubs have reportedly expressed interest.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Lionel Messi's Inter Miami were at the front of the queue for the Brazilian, with Casemiro's representatives reportedly opening talks with the South Florida club. This came after earlier speculation had connected him to the LA Galaxy.
However, among all MLS sides, Miami may face the steepest hurdle in landing Casemiro.
The Herons simply lack the room under the MLS salary cap to accommodate him, and would require significant roster reshuffling to make the finances work — despite being "really serious" about securing the Man Utd midfielder, according to Fabrizio Romano.
While the Brazilian may be drawn to the project — which has recently relocated to Miami proper at Nu Stadium — a move to the reigning MLS Cup champions would be far more complicated than any previous transfer in his career, especially considering his current deal reportedly pays him $20 million per season at Old Trafford.
Could Casemiro Be a Designated Player?
Inter Miami currently have three designated players committed through the 2027–28 season, with Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Germán Berterame occupying those slots. The latter two were acquired for a combined transfer fee exceeding $32 million.
Additionally, the club has signed three players under the U-22 Initiative — the maximum permitted when a team carries three senior designated players. To bring in Berterame, the Herons loaned a fourth U-22 Initiative player, Tomás Avilés, to CF Montréal.
Miami could drop to two designated players and unlock a fourth U-22 Initiative roster spot, but that would restrict them to signing a younger talent — not a veteran like 34-year-old Casemiro.
While Berterame's individual salary remains undisclosed — the MLS Players' Association publishes figures in May — Messi received $20 million in guaranteed compensation in 2025, and De Paul counted $1.5 million against the salary cap that same year. De Paul was a non-DP paid through Targeted Allocation Money, a mechanism used to reduce a player's salary cap figure when his annual earnings fall below $1,803,125 but above $803,125, though he now earns more.
Given the high-end salaries already on the books, Miami could only accommodate Casemiro at a salary exceeding the Max-TAM threshold by parting ways with one of their stars — a move that would also introduce an uncertain impact on their overall salary cap.
Complicated enough? There's more.
Inter Miami's Lack of GAM
Inter Miami may carry financial clout, but they are short on General Allocation Money — a tool MLS clubs use to reduce a player's cap charge, provided the player earns no more than $803,125 annually.
For some clubs, Miami included, this mechanism allows higher-priced players to fit the roster without requiring DP status or TAM usage. However, the Herons hold just $17,361 in GAM, rendering it essentially useless.
By comparison, the Colorado Rapids have $6,380,121 available for 2026, while Miami's 2025 MLS Cup opponents, the Vancouver Whitecaps, sit second-lowest with $20,945.
Miami could acquire GAM by trading MLS SuperDraft picks or selling players to other MLS clubs, but that alone may not be sufficient to bring in a high-cost addition like Casemiro.
Could Casemiro Play For Less?
Without a sweeping roster overhaul, the only realistic path for Casemiro to join Inter Miami would be at a salary below $803,125 — possibly even lower. While MLS salary and cap figures for 2026 have yet to be released publicly, Miami are likely approaching the team maximum of $6,425,000, which severely limits their ability to sign anyone, let alone another marquee name.
That said, with Luis Suárez having previously accepted a reduced contract to free up a DP slot, there is precedent for players taking a pay cut to join Miami and play alongside Messi. Perhaps that is the route Casemiro envisions, following a string of lucrative deals at Real Madrid and Man Utd.
While Miami remain an unlikely landing spot at this stage, there is clearly strong interest from MLS clubs in securing such a profile — continuing a wave of high-profile arrivals since Messi joined the league, including the Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Müller, San Jose Earthquakes' Timo Werner, LAFC's Son Heung-min, and Orlando City's Antoine Griezmann.