Rodrigo De Paul officially joins Messi in MLS: Inter Miami’s projected lineup with the Argentine midfielder

Inter Miami officially announced the signing of Rodrigo De Paul, who will now join Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer.

This Friday, Inter Miami confirmed the acquisition of Rodrigo De Paul, who left Atletico Madrid to reunite with Lionel Messi and begin his journey in American soccer. With this move, the Herons are now building a strengthened squad to compete for titles in Major League Soccer and the Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami began teasing the signing on Friday afternoon, posting on social media an image of a button labeled “RDP” (Rodrigo De Paul’s initials) with the phrase “engine start” lighting up like a car ignition.

A few hours later, they announced the signing with a post on social media, along with a statement on their official website where they revealed the details of the deal. “De Paul will initially join the Club on loan through the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season; the deal includes an option to make the transfer permanent through the 2029 MLS season,” Inter Miami stated.

With the addition of Rodrigo De Paul, head coach Javier Mascherano gains a high-quality, experienced option in midfield to pair with Sergio Busquets. He’ll also have strong depth with players like Federico Redondo, Benjamin Cremaschi, and Yannick Bright.

Inter Miami’s projected lineup with De Paul

Although De Paul spent much of his early professional career as an attacking midfielder—with Racing Club, Valencia, and later Udinese—his role with the Argentina national team shaped him into a player defined by work rate and tactical discipline. In recent years, he has become the perfect complement to defensive midfielders, and that’s likely the role he’ll take on in Miami alongside Sergio Busquets.

With that in mind, assuming an ideal scenario in which coach Mascherano has the full roster healthy and available, a possible starting lineup for Inter Miami would be: Oscar Ustari; Marcelo Weigandt, Tomas Aviles, Maximiliano Falcon, Jordi Alba; Tadeo Allende, Rodrigo De Paul, Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez.

Atletico Madrid say goodbye to De Paul

At the same time Inter Miami announced the signing of the midfielder, his former club shared a farewell on social media: “Rodrigo De Paul says goodbye to Atletico Madrid and will continue his professional career at Inter Miami. We wish you all the best in this new professional challenge, Rodri!”

De Paul joined the Spanish side in the summer of 2021 from Udinese in a deal worth over $40 million. In his four seasons there, the Argentine midfielder made 186 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 26 assists. However, he was unable to win any titles during his time with the club.

From: bolavip.com