Report: Higuain agrees to terms
Juventus forward is en route to Miami
Inter Miami CF have reportedly locked in the world-renowned goalscorer they’ve coveted. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reported Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain has agreed terms with Inter Miami after reaching an agreement with Juventus and left Italy on Thursday.
The Athletic reported Higuain was set to arrive in Miami Thursday evening and will immediately quarantine upon arrival before joining his new team.
If Inter Miami sign the Argentine forward as expected, Higuain would reunite with former Juventus teammate Blaise Matuidi, who sealed a deal with Inter Miami Aug. 13 and made his debut for the team versus Nashville SC Sunday.
Higuain would undergo medical exams and be subjected to Major League Soccer’s COVID-19 protocol, which includes mandatory testing and a quarantine period of up to 10 days, before he can start practicing with the team. Matuidi had to go through the same protocols upon arriving in the U.S. after he took care of his visa paperwork.
Higuain, 32, will join Inter Miami on a free transfer after he and Juventus agreed to forego the final year of his contract, which runs through June 2021, according to The Athletic. He’s expected to be Inter Miami’s third designated player (DP), joining fellow Argentine Matias Pellegrini and Rodolfo Pizarro as the club’s three DPs.
Inter Miami’s need for a goal-scoring threat has been apparent during their inaugural MLS season. They’re 13th in the 14-team Eastern Conference standings with a 2-6-2 record, but only two points outside of a playoff slot. D.C. United (2-4-4) is currently in 10th place (the last playoff position in the conference) with 10 points.
They’ve scored in half
to their games, recording eight goals through their first 10 matches after beating Atlanta United FC 2-1 Wednesday at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, with both goals being scored by Lewis Morgan.
Inter Miami have gone through Juan Agudelo, Julian Carranza and Robbie Robinson as the team’s starting forward. Agudelo, 27, is an MLS veteran and scored in the team’s 2-1 loss against Orlando City July 8 at the MLS is Back tournament, but Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso has used him more as a leftwinger recently.
Carranza, 20, scored two goals in Inter Miami’s first win of the season against Orlando City, but his play has been inconsistent. Robinson, 21, has shown his potential and created scoring chances, but he hasn’t netted a goal in the 270 minutes he’s played.
Pizarro, with a team-high of three goals, has had to carry the playmaking and scoring load.
Enter Higuain, who’s been one of the elite goalscorers in the world since becoming a professional in 2005, netting 226 total goals across 399 league appearances during his time with Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus.
After three seasons with Argentine soccer club River Plate, Higuain joined Real Madrid in 2007 and scored 107 goals across 190 La Liga appearances.
He netted 71 goals in 104 Serie A appearances from 2013-16 with Napoli before transferring to Juventus in the summer of 2016.
Higuain scored 48 goals in 105 Serie A appearances with Juventus, recording eight goals in 32 appearances during the 2019-20 season. He tallied 31 goals in 75 appearances from 2008-18 with the Argentina national soccer team.
It ’s unknown when Higuain will be able to make his Inter Miami debut. They’ll finish phase one of the league’s return-to-play in home markets when they play Orlando City SC for the third time this year Saturday at Exploria Stadium.
The league hasn’t announced the remainder of the schedule after Sept. 16, but MLS is expected to reveal each team’s next three games for phase two Friday.