De Paul secures Messi link-up with Miami transfer
Atletico Madrid have announced Rodrigo De Paul's departure, with the Argentina international making the move to Inter Miami and MLS.
Rodrigo De Paul has left Atletico Madrid to link up with Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.
Atletico confirmed his move on their website, with Miami yet to release any details about the move.
De Paul spent four years at Atletico, making 187 appearances in all competitions, including playing in all three group games at the Club World Cup.
He scored 14 goals during his time in the Spanish capital while registering 24 assists.
Last season, De Paul had the most touches of any Atletico player across all competitions (3,195), while he also both attempted (2,608) and completed (2,185) the most passes.
He also created the most chances (73), with 67 of those coming from open play, which are also team-highs.
De Paul has often spoken about his admiration for Messi, famously saying, "If Messi becomes your captain, you would go to war for him if he asked you to".
The pair have played together on the national team, winning the 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles as well as the World Cup in 2022 and the Finalissima earlier that year.
However, his arrival raises questions over Sergio Busquets' future. Messi, Jordi Alba and Busquets currently hold the three Designated Player (DP) spots on Miami's roster.
Alba recently signed a new deal, with Messi expected to follow suit with his deal running out at the end of this season.
As such, that could mean that Busquets is leaving or retiring at the end of the campaign, with Miami capped in terms of the salary they can offer De Paul.
