Miami sells loaned forward Carranza, then had to face the prolific scorer

There was good news and bad news for Inter Miami on Wednesday afternoon.

First, the good news: The club announced that it acquired $500,000 in general allocation money from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for the permanent transfer of forward Julián Carranza. Inter Miami will also retain a sell-on percentage in the event of a future permanent transfer.

The bad news: The transaction made Carranza, who was named MLS Player of Week after scoring a hat trick in a 7-0 win over D.C. United last week, eligible to play against Inter Miami on Wednesday night at DRV PNK Stadium. Coming into Wednesday, Carranza led Philadelphia with seven goals and had started 15 of 16 games.

Under MLS rules he would not have been allowed to play if Miami still owned his rights. He was forced to sit out their previous meeting this season.

But now that he is permanently on the Union’s roster, he was free to play. Carranza, 22, had said he wished he could play against his former team. He got his wish.

“We brought Julian in because we believed his work rate and intelligence would be a strong fit for our aggressive style of play and we are very happy with how quickly he has adapted,” said Union sporting director, Ernst Tanner. “His goal scoring has been vital to the team’s success thus far and we expect him to maintain the high level he has shown.”

Miami coach Phil Neville said Monday: “We’re glad Carranza can’t play” and proceeded to praise the young forward, saying he was a perfect fit for Philadelphia and that Miami couldn’t offer him the playing time he was seeking.

Carranza signed for Inter Miami in July 2019 from Club Atlético Banfield in his native Argentina, becoming one of the first two signings in club history. He registered 42 appearances, 11 of them starts, and three goals during his two seasons with Inter Miami, before being loaned to the Union on Dec. 23, 2021. His salary this season is $900,000.

“This transaction gives us additional funds to continue building a roster that helps us reach our objectives moving forward,” said Inter Miami chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson.