Inter Miami's potential solution to their Designated Player problem

Inter Miami had to cancel three preseason games due to a possible coronavirus outbreak, but they eventually came up with a solution to that problem - the entire team got vaccinated on Monday to prevent this from happening again. But now they are facing another problem. On Tuesday the teams’ sporting director Chris Henderson confirmed that Blaise Matuidi will be registered as a designated player (DP) for the 2021 MLS season.

The problem with that decision is that the team already has three DPs, Gonzalo Higuaín, Rodolfo Pizarro and Matías Pellegrini, the most allowed by the league. So the World Cup winner becomes the fourth designated player ahead of the 2021 Major League Soccer campaign. The club has until Friday to find a solution to this latest problem.

Matías Pellegrini could be the answer

One solution to this problem would be if Matías Pellegrini can be reclassified into the U22 player initiative that Major League Soccer is starting in the 2021 season. This means that an MLS club can sign up to three young players that are 22 or younger and they have no limits on acquisition fees and at a reduced budget charge.

“We are still waiting for some decisions at the league level. We have four DPs at the moment, so that’s a work in progress. Roster compliance is next week, so we are counting to work on things to be compliant,” said Henderson.

According to The Athletic, current Major League Soccer players are expected to be allowed into this new initiative from the league as long as they are eligible. Now Inter Miami has to decide if they want to use the allocation money to buy Pellegrini who is on loan. His contract belongs to Estudiantes.