With the MLS schedule revealed Thursdaythe offseason is also in full swing with Inter Miami shipping Leo – not Messi – but Campana to the New England Revolution for $2.5 million in general allocation money and an international spot in 2025. Campana has scored eight goals and has assisted two others in the league last season, serving mainly as a backup to Luis Suarez.
It’s a move that signifies a change for the Herons, as the Ecuador international is only 24 years old and is getting better every year after joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Herons can earn an additional $750,000 in GAM depending on performance clauses, according to Tom Bogert.
With 32 goals for the club in all competitions, Campana is behind Messi for the most goals in the club’s history. Also selling Diego Gomez to Brighton, a decision which will be effective at the opening of the winter transfer window. Starting the day with $3.3 million in GAM, Miami now has over $5 million that will only increase when the Gomez deal closes. That leaves the Herons with holes to fill, but they might have the most GAMs in Major League Soccer to work with.
GAM has many uses, such as buying out a player’s cap fee, including purchasing a designated player below a certain threshold to open up room for a new one. It can be used to buy back transfer fees, sign local players or be traded to other clubs. This makes it a flexible resource that a team can use. That’s why it’s important for a team facing cap issues, like Miami, to have as many resources as possible to work with.
With the arrival of a new coach in Javier Mascherano, a change was expected to be on the horizon, but selling a productive young player like Campana remains a change that will require further adjustments. Moves like this are situations where it is more important to see how Campana is replaced, because with Messi and other global stars on the team, Inter Miami has one of the best recruiting grounds in the league because of the ability of its squad to compete.
Changes have occurred within the front office with sporting director Chris Henderson heading to Atlanta United, but as this move shows, Inter Miami won’t let that slow down a critical offseason. After setting the single-season points record and crashing out of the playoffs in the first round against Atlanta United, they need to avoid the same fate this season. By competing in the Club World Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup in 2025, this is a season where Miami can truly leave its mark on American soccer, but further efforts will be needed before the season begins in January.
Don’t miss CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Morning Footy, now in podcast form! Our team brings you all the news, views, highlights and laughs you need to follow the Beautiful Game from every corner of the globe, Monday to Friday, all year round.
