Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Team finally gets its man in Higuain
At long last, Inter Miami CF locked in the world-renowned striker they’ve been searching for by signing Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain.
The club announced it signed the former Juventus forward Friday morning as its third designated player after the Italian soccer club mutually agreed
Thursday to terminate Higuain’s contract with the team.
Higuain reunites with former Juventus teammate Blaise Matuidi, who signed with Inter Miami last month, making it the only club in Major League Soccer to have two World Cup finalists on its roster.
“First of all, I want to thank Inter Miami for the effort it has made to sign me,” Higuain said. “I think it will be a beautiful experience in my life. It’s what I was looking for — a new
experience, a new league and a beautiful city. I’m really happy to be here and that it’s official.
“My goals are to grow the team, be able to compete and help the club grow with my experience that I’ve gained in Europe after so many years. I think there’s a good base and good pieces to be able to do big things.
“I hope I can contribute and that the team can gain more confidence and earn positive results. I think there are things to improve and I’m very excited to help.”
Higuain flew to Miami last week and has been subjected to the league’s COVID-19 protocol since his arrival, which includes mandatory testing and a quarantine period of up to 10 days before he can start practicing with the team.
He’s been training on his own at the club’s practice facility in Fort Lauderdale and will occupy an international roster slot, pending receipt of his international transfer certificate and visa.
It’s unknown when Higuain will make his Inter Miami debut. He won’t be available against Atlanta United FC at Mercedez-Benz Stadium on Saturday — the third matchup between the two teams in the past three weeks. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. and can be seen on CBS 4, Unimas or Inter Miami’s official app.
Higuain could be available as early as next week. Inter Miami hosts the New York Red Bulls on Sept. 23 and visits the Philadelphia Union on Sept. 27.
“We are pleased to close a deal with Gonzalo and add an experienced and successful goalscorer who has excelled in the world’s best leagues,” Paul McDonough, Inter Miami Chief Operating Officer and sporting director, said in a news release.
“Our ownership group has always said our goal is to not only bring elite players to Inter Miami but also good people that share our ambition and aspiration of making history in North American fútbol, and we’re confident we have found that in Gonzalo.”
Higuain’s signing addresses one of Inter Miami’s biggest needs during its inaugural MLS season. Inter Miami — in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 2-7-2 record — has scored just nine goals through its first 11 matches, which is tied for the second-fewest in the league.
Higuain has been one of the elite goal scorers in the world since becoming a professional in 2005, netting 226 total goals across 399 appearances during his time with Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus.
“Without a doubt, his goal-scoring capacity will help us cover an area in which we have been looking for somebody to help us improve,” Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso said. “He has incredible quality.
“He has played on the best teams in the world, and on all of them he’s been a starter, he’s been a difference-maker, he’s been important and he’s kept a lot of really talented players on the bench. That speaks to his pedigree and to his ambition to play for the best teams in the world, to compete well [and] to win titles.”
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 set the record for most goals scored in a single Serie A season with 36 during the 2015-16 campaign.
Higuain scored 48 goals in 105 Serie A appearances with Juventus, recording eight goals in 32 appearances during the 2019-20 season. He spent the 2018-19 season on loan with A.C. Milan and then Chelsea. Higuain tallied 31 goals in 75 appearances from 2008-18 with the Argentina national soccer team.
He said he’s been watching MLS for many years because of his brother, Federico Higuain, who plays for D.C. United after eight seasons with Columbus Crew SC.
“It’s always been a league that interested me, that I’ve looked at fondly, and after talking to my brother and my family I think it’s a good time to come here,” Higuain said. “I feel good, I feel whole as a player. I’m motivated to try a new league and help the team grow.
“Individually, my goal is to demonstrate that I can contribute and continue playing great fútbol here. I hope I can achieve that because I have all the tools necessary to succeed.”