With the MLS schedule being released on Thursday, the offseason is also getting into full swing with Inter Miami shipping Leo -- not Messi -- but Campana to the New England Revolution for $2.5 million in general allocation money and a 2025 international spot. Campana scored eight goals and assisted two more in league play last season mostly serving as a backup to Luis Suarez.
It's a move that spells change for the Herons as the Ecuador international is only 24 and getting better by the year after joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Herons can earn an additional $750 thousand in GAM depending on performance clauses, according to Tom Bogert.
With 32 goals for the club in all competitions, Campana is second to only Messi for the most goals in club history. Also selling Diego Gomez to Brighton in a move that will be effective when the winter transfer window opens. Entering the day with $3.3 million in GAM, Miami now have over $5 million which will only rise when the Gomez deal goes through. This does leave the Herons with holes to fill but they could have the most GAM in Major League Soccer to work with.
GAM has many uses such as buying down a player's cap charge including buying a designated player below a certain threshold to open the slot for a new one. It can be used to buy down a transfer fee, sign homegrown players or be traded to other clubs. That makes it a flexible resource that a team can use which is why it's significant that a team with cap issues such as Miami have as much as possible to work with.
Bringing a new coach in Javier Mascherano, change was expected to be on the horizon but selling a productive young player like Campana is still a shift that will require further adjusting. Moves like this one are situations where it's more important to see how Campana is replaced as with Messi and other global stars on the team, Inter Miami have one of the best recruiting pitches in the league due to their roster being able to contend.
Changes have come in the front office with sporting director Chris Henderson heading to Atlanta United but as this move shows, Inter Miami won't let that slow a critical offseason down. After setting the single-season points record and crashing out of the playoffs in the first round at the hands of Atlanta United, they need to avoid the same fate this season. Taking part in the Club World Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup in 2025, this is a season where Miami can truly put their mark on American soccer, but more moves will be needed ahead of the season starting in January.
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