 "Kevin De Bruyne in action for Manchester City. Image: Reuters")
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could soon join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. As per reports, the Florida-based club has acquired De Bruyne’s discovery rights, which would give them the first right to negotiate with him should he choose Major League Soccer (MLS) as his next destination.
While Inter Miami has declined to comment officially, the news has sent a buzz through the football world, with fans already dreaming of a Messi-De Bruyne link-up in MLS.
What are discovery rights?
In MLS, each team can list up to five players on their discovery list, giving them the exclusive first option to negotiate with those players should they wish to join the league. De Bruyne’s rights were initially held by San Diego FC, but they reportedly removed him from their list earlier this year.
Will De Bruyne join Inter Miami?
Bringing De Bruyne to Miami would be a massive move for the club but there may be financial concerns. The Belgian star currently earns around $25 million per year at Manchester City, a figure that would surpass even Messi’s reported MLS salary of $20 million.
If De Bruyne were to join Inter Miami, he would most likely be named a Designated Player (DP) as his salary would exceed the maximum cap of $740,000. Each team is allowed to name three DPs and the difference between the maximum cap and the player’s actual salary is covered by the club. Inter Miami’s current DPs are Messi, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets.
A dream attacking pair
De Bruyne is reportedly considering the next step in his illustrious career after a decade of dominance at Manchester City. While he hasn’t ruled out staying in the Premier League or moving to the Saudi Pro League, the idea of playing with Messi could prove irresistible.
De Bruyne and Messi have never played together at club or international level. They have faced each other several times in the UEFA Champions League but have never been teammates. If De Bruyne joins Inter Miami, it will be the first time the two superstars will share the dressing room.