Messi’s Inter Miami set to pay nearly $5 million to keep Argentine player ahead of 2026 MLS season

As the year comes to a close, Inter Miami are gradually gaining a clearer picture of their roster for the 2026 Major League Soccer season. However, one unresolved issue involves an Argentine player for whom the club would need to pay a significant fee in order to keep him.

“Inter Miami are negotiating with Racing Club to purchase Baltasar Rodriguez,” DSports Radio reported in a post on X. The Argentine midfielder joined the club earlier this year from Racing Club at the direct request of head coach Javier Mascherano, who previously coached him with the Argentina U-20 national team.

After a difficult start that included several consecutive muscle injuries, Rodriguez overtook Telasco Segovia and earned a place in the starting lineup during the final stretch of the MLS regular season. In the playoffs, he started all six matches for Inter Miami, including the final against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Overall, Rodriguez made 22 appearances for the Herons in 2025 across Major League Soccer, the Leagues Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup, recording three goals and three assists. While those numbers are not eye-catching, his upward performance curve, combined with his young age and promising future, makes him an attractive long-term target.

Inter Miami can negotiate for Baltasar Rodriguez

When Baltasar Rodriguez joined Inter Miami at the start of 2025, the agreement with Racing Club was a loan deal with a mandatory purchase option triggered by specific performance targets. Injuries during the first half of the year prevented those benchmarks from being met, leading to contractual consequences.

“The obligation was not activated because the player did not reach the required minutes threshold,” DSports Radio reported. As a result, the loan spell with the Herons is set to expire at the end of the year, and Rodriguez would be expected to return to the Argentine club at the start of 2026.

However, without that clause in effect, Inter Miami now have the opportunity to negotiate freely with Racing Club to reach a new agreement. “The operation would be worth $5 million, a figure close to the original purchase obligation included in the loan,” the report added.

Inter Miami’s transfer moves so far

From the roster that won the 2025 MLS title, several players are no longer part of Inter Miami. The most notable cases are Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, both of whom decided to bring their professional careers to an end.

They are joined by players whose contracts expired and will not be renewed: Marcelo Weigandt, Fafa Picault, and Ryan Sailor. A similar situation could apply to Allen Obando, Oscar Ustari, and Rocco Rios Novo, although it remains unclear whether the Herons will attempt to retain them.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Ian Fray, and Noah Allen have recently signed contract extensions and are secured for next season under Javier Mascherano. Rodrigo De Paul will also be permanently acquired in a multimillion-dollar transfer from Atletico Madrid.

As for new additions, the only signing so far is left back Sergio Reguilon, who arrived to fill the void left by Alba. Through the draft, Inter Miami also selected defenders Abdel Talabi and Alex Barger, midfielder Kenan Hot, and forwards Mamadi Jiana and Maximilian Kissel.