Major League Soccer has announced it is reviewing charges of contract tampering with Inter Miami in the signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.
“The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until its review is complete,” MLS said in a statement.
Sources confirmed to ESPN that the Los Angeles Galaxy filed a fraud claim with MLS against Inter Miami for contacting Casemiro without first obtaining the player’s Discovery Priority.
Although Inter Miami and the Galaxy have since reached an agreement to prioritize Casemiro’s discovery, the league will continue to pursue the lawsuit.
“While Inter Miami and LA Galaxy have reached an agreement for Discovery Priority to sign Casemiro, the terms will be made public once the tampering investigation is completed,” MLS said in a statement.
Casemiro left Manchester United this summer after his contract expired. Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
MLS rules state that clubs can register up to five players on their discovery list at any given time. By listing a player, that team has the exclusive right to begin negotiations first without competition from other MLS clubs. LA Galaxy has opening priority over Casemiro, forcing Inter Miami to acquire the player’s rights from the Western Conference club.
“If a club wishes to sign a player from the discovery list of another club that has a higher priority to discover that player, it may offer that club $50,000 in general money in exchange for the right to sign the player,” the league’s rules state.
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“A club whose player is on the discovery list will have five days (or three days during the secondary transfer window) to either (i) accept the general distribution money and transfer the right to sign the player, or (ii) make a genuine, objectively reasonable offer to the player.”
After reaching an agreement with the Galaxy, Inter Miami was able to sign Casemiro to a contract until the end of the 2027 MLS sprint season, with an option to extend until June 2029.
“I would like to make this situation very clear, especially as it relates to my identity,” Casemiro said on Wednesday. “I spoke to Galaxy a while ago. I made it clear to them that I wanted to join Miami because at the end of the day, this is the city I love. My wife, my kids and I are always here when we have a weekend. We know the city. When I spoke to them (Galaxy), I made it very clear to them which team I want to join in MLS and that is Inter Miami, because of the project, the hope and of course the opportunity to play with the best player of all time.”
“That’s what worries me. I just want to thank Inter Miami for their efforts. I wanted to be here too. The only MLS team I wanted to be a part of was Inter Miami.