Javier Mascherano admits talks with Inter Miami FC
The veteran midfielder was on the radar of David Beckham’s new team in Major League Soccer, but Mascherano decided to go back and play in Argentina’s league this year.
Inter Miami FC were very active on the last day of the transfer market, trying to sign their franchise players for the upcoming Major League Soccer season. David Beckham’s team had many names on their radar, and one of them was Javier Mascherano.
After spending eight years at FC Barcelona, the veteran midfielder signed for the Chinese team Hebei Fortune for two seasons in 2018. This year, the 35-year-old was a free agent and he confessed in an interview with CNN that he was close to moving to Miami, but finally decided to play for Estudiantes de la Plata in Argentina because he wanted to go back to his country to be with his family.
“I was analysing different offers and the one from MLS seemed very interesting at the time, but in the end I chose to play in Argentina where I started my career. It was no secret that I was close to signing for Inter Miami, I mean it was almost a done deal but things can change very quickly and at the end I chose Estudiantes de la Plata,” Mascherano said during the interview.
He started his career in 2003 with River Plate and left the Argentine league in 2005 to play for several teams in Europe, such as Liverpool and Barcelona. 15 years later, he returned home and has already made his debut for Estudiantes de la Plata.
Inter fail to sign a European star
Beckham’s new MLS team failed to sign a European star for their debut season because the transfer window closed today. They can make another bid during the summer when they are in the middle of their season.