Major League Soccer (MLS) has launched an investigation into allegations of tampering involving Inter Miami following the club’s signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.
Inter Miami announced on Wednesday that the 34-year-old had joined the club after leaving Manchester United at the end of last season. The former Brazil international signed a contract that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2027 MLS season, with an option to extend the deal until June 2029.
Shortly after the announcement, MLS confirmed it had opened a review into the circumstances surrounding the transfer.
“The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete,” the league said in a statement.
MLS added that while Inter Miami and LA Galaxy had reached an agreement regarding Casemiro’s discovery priority rights, details of the settlement would only be made public after the investigation concludes.
The probe centres on the league’s “discovery rights” rule, which grants an MLS club the first opportunity to negotiate with a player if he decides to join the league. Each club is permitted to maintain a discovery list of up to five players at any given time.
LA Galaxy reportedly held Casemiro’s discovery rights before Inter Miami secured them as part of the transfer process.
Confirming the arrangement, LA Galaxy said both clubs had agreed to a settlement over the discovery priority for Casemiro, adding that the terms would remain confidential until MLS completes its investigation.
Casemiro announced in January that he would leave Manchester United after both parties mutually agreed not to extend his contract beyond the 2026–27 season. The outcome of the MLS investigation will determine whether Inter Miami complied with the league’s player acquisition rules.
