Inter Miami is interested in Neymar; will the MSN trio reunite in North America next year?

Written by Han Bing Inter Miami will lose Busquets and Alba, who have chosen to retire after this season, but with the North American World Cup next year, Beckham is determined to keep the club’s star power intact. The UK’s Daily Mail revealed that Inter Miami has targeted Neymar, the Brazilian whose contract with Santos ends this year, with the prospect of reuniting with his former Barcelona friends in Miami next year. At the same time, the legendary MSN trio that once dominated Europe could be revived on the North American continent.

In fact, rumors linking Inter Miami and Neymar first surfaced in the US media last year. At that time, Neymar was still hoping to return to one of Europe’s top five leagues, and Inter Miami already had four major stars—Messi, Suarez, Busquets, and Alba—meaning signing Neymar would require releasing at least two players to comply with MLS salary rules. However, with Busquets and Alba retiring at the end of this year, Inter Miami now has enough salary space to accommodate Neymar. Although Neymar’s frequent injuries are an obvious risk, Beckham, as club owner, values his popularity and commercial appeal more highly.

At the end of January this year, Neymar terminated his contract with Al Hilal and returned to his Brazilian home club Santos, signing only a six-month deal. After scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists in 7 matches during the São Paulo State Championship early in the year, Santos extended his contract for another six months until the end of the year. However, Neymar soon entered “injury mode,” suffering three injuries within six months and missing 11 of 27 Brazilian league matches due to injury. His form in the São Paulo State Championship also sharply declined. From April to September, Neymar appeared in only 13 league games and scored just 3 goals.

For Neymar, who is eager to return to the Brazilian national team, reuniting with Messi and Suarez will also help him deliver stronger performances in the first half of next year to convince Ancelotti. Before the June international break, the Italian coach intended to call Neymar up but had to give up since Neymar had just recovered from a hamstring injury and Brazil was at a critical stage of World Cup qualification. Before the September internationals, although Neymar maintained two months of stable appearances, his performance was disappointing. Before the October internationals, Neymar suffered a right rectus femoris muscle strain, expected to sideline him for a month, likely causing him to miss the November international fixtures as well.

Neymar’s recurrent injuries have also severely impacted Santos’ performance. The club paid a high price to sign Neymar and gained significantly from jersey and merchandise sales, but losing Neymar early in the Brazilian league season has left the team struggling to avoid relegation. If the club is unfortunately relegated at season’s end, it obviously won’t be able to afford Neymar’s salary, and the Brazilian star would not want to play in the second division during a World Cup year. Meanwhile, Neymar’s frequent injuries have made Santos reluctant to pursue a contract extension when his deal expires at the end of the year.

Neymar still hopes to participate in his final World Cup, and Ancelotti has not given up on him. The Brazilian team’s Italian coach has reserved the number 10 jersey exclusively for Neymar; whenever he is absent, the number 10 shirt rotates among others. In June, it was Vinicius; in September, Raphinha; and in October, Rodrigo wore it. Neymar idolizes the Real Madrid star and admits the pressure of wearing his idol’s jersey, eagerly hoping Neymar will return soon so they can play side by side at next year’s North American World Cup. However, Neymar’s return to the Brazilian team and participation in the World Cup depend on his ability to perform consistently in a top league, giving Ancelotti a solid reason to include him.

Clearly, the invitation from Inter Miami is an opportunity Neymar must seize. Surrounded by familiar former teammates Messi and Suarez, he has every reason and support to regain his former form.