Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas told reporters on Tuesday that the club is signing Spanish defender Jordi Alba, another former team-mate of Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona. Miami signed Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, and introduced him to fans on Sunday.
The club also added Sergio Busquets, who played alongside Messi and Alba at Barcelona. Alba, 34, is the captain of Spain’s mҽn’s national team and left Barcelona this summer to become a free agent.
In a 15-year playing career devoted entirely to Spanish clubs, Alba scored 26 goals and provided 70 assists in 422 matches (358 appearances). He has been with Barcelona since 2012-13. Alba may not be the last international to join Inter Miami this year. Luis Suarez, a star striker who spent many years with Messi and his Barcelona team-mates, has been linked to Miami.
Suarez, 36, currently plays for Gremio in Brazil, and Mas said there have been no talks with the player or the club yet. “I don’t know how Luis Suarez was able to leave Gremio. But if he does, we are free to talk to Luis and bring him to Inter Miami,” Mas said. “That possibility will be there.”
As for Messi himself, the 36-year-old trained for the first time with Inter Miami on Tuesday, and Mas reiterated what he said a few weeks ago when the contract was officially signed: that the match came out. Messi’s eyes will come on Friday in the club’s Leagues Cup opener against Mexico City’s Cruz Azul. It is unknown whether Messi will start or come on from the bench in that match.