"We are not thinking about that" - Tata Martino says Inter Miami are unlikely to sign Lionel Messi's former PSG teammate
Inter Miami manager Gerardo 'Tata' Martino claimed they were not planning to sign Lionel Messi's former teammate at Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) Keylor Navas. The Argentine tactician also recently shut down rumors of a potential move for Angel Di Maria.
Since Messi joined up with the Florida-based club in 2023, he has seen a number of his former teammates join him. Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba have all opted to move to Miami, fueling speculations that the legendary attacker's other former teammates could also be joining.
Martino has now shut down rumors that they are interested in Keylor Navas' services. He told the Miami Herald (via Inter Miami News):
“Keylor Navas is an elite goalkeeper with a stellar career, and I want to clarify, because various names have been coming up in the past week, but at this time we are not thinking about that, as there are still two months until the next transfer window opens.
“Also, we are not thinking of replacing our keeper; we have a great keeper and a great captain. Unless [Callender] were to get an offer to go overseas that would be better for his future, he would have to evaluate that, but that is not the case so far. We are not looking for a new keeper.”
MLS icon questions Inter Miami's performances without Lionel Messi
Inter Miami are arguably one of the best clubs in the MLS right now. They currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference but struggle when Lionel Messi is unavailable.
He was the best player on the pitch in their 6-2 win over New York Red Bulls, as he racked up five assists and scored a goal. However, he was absent against Orlando City, and they could only manage a 0-0 draw.
Talking about the same, MLS legend Sacha Kljestan told MLS Wrap-Up (via GOAL):
“There’s a lot of injuries, and we saw the team just without Messi is a slightly different team."
He also spoke about Luis Suarez, who struggled against Orlando City, but impressed with a hat trick against the New York Red Bulls:
"I think Suarez is still a fantastic player, but Suarez without Messi is also less of a player.”
Inter Miami will be hoping that they can improve their performances, especially when Lionel Messi is not playing.