Messi's side Inter Miami adds young defender amid injury woes

There will soon be yet another Argentine playing for Inter Miami as the club lands a talented defender.

On Tuesday, the club announced that they had signed center-back Tomas Aviles. Aviles signed a deal that keeps him with the club until the 2026 MLS season. The MLS’s U-22 program is what brought in the 19-year-old.

Aviles will use up an international roster spot, and his contract contains options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. “We’re very happy to sign Tomas, a prospect we feel has a very bright future ahead. Tomas is a talented young player who will help us bolster our backline”, Miami’s Director of Sports and Head of the Soccer Department Chris Henderson remarked.

Inter Miami needed new defender

The young center-back stated in a statement, “This is an exciting opportunity for me and I can’t wait to represent Inter Miami. I will do anything I can to support this team and see it through to success.”

Defense has been Tata Martino’s side’s Achilles heel, so this deal couldn’t have come at a better time. They had previously lost two key defensive players, Franco Negri and Ian Fray, to injury.

Who is Tomas Aviles?

Aviles debuted for Racing Club, an Argentine club, just seven months ago. He’s played in 20 games and contributed once. Aviles has also played for both the Argentina and Chilean national teams, starting five games overall.

During the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he played a significant role in the Argentine U-20 squad, starting two games. Meanwhile, at the 2023 CONMEBOL U-20 South American Championship, he scored three goals for Chile’s U-20 team.

Both he and 20-year-old midfielder Facundo Farias, who joined Inter Miami last week, are the latest Argentines to call Miami home. Just like Aviles, Farias is using one of the international roster slots that the club acquired in a deal with the San Jose Earthquakes last week. By prioritizing the development of young players, the club is showing that it is committed to the long term and is serious about building a strong squad.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Agencia-MexSport