Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino has addressed the rumors linking Neymar to the club and insisted a deal would be impossible to negotiate at the moment given MLS roster and salary restrictions.
“With [Lionel Messi] and the boys already here, anything that can happen. What I can’t imagine is if the league doesn’t make the salary issue more flexible, how it would be carried out,” Martino said on Friday.
“After writing it or saying it in the media it’s all good, nothing happens, it doesn’t have any consequences, but what would the implementation be like? And the reality is that if there is something that the MLS has, it is that the rules are strict and can’t be broken, unless the MLS decides to change.”
Rumors arose after Neymar bought a waterfront property in Miami but Martino emphasized the ridiculous nature of linking a player to a team through real estate.
“Everyone that buys at home here is going to come to play? Ha! I arrived in Barcelona at the same time as [Neymar]. It was a good year and for me being able to coach such high-ranking players will always be a very special memory,” he said.
“The truth is that one cannot talk so easily and freely about whether a player could come or not. It seems to me that when we talk about this, another type of support is needed. We cannot talk or mention a player because he bought a house here or has a girlfriend from Fort Lauderdale.
“It’s nonsense, you have to speak with forceful things. First you have to analyze what the league offers and if this is really possible. Starting from that base, today this is impossible, so there is no more continuity in this conversation.”
Martino instead shifted focus to the team’s upcoming playoff match against Atlanta United on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Miami need to win to advance to the conference semifinals. A loss for Miami would send this round one best-of-three series to a third and deciding match on Nov. 9 at Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami may be without Sergio Busquets for tomorrow’s match, after Martino confirmed he remains ill and is being assessed on a day-to-day basis. Though the midfielder played an integral part in the 2-1 victory over Atlanta on Friday, he has not trained leading up to the second match.
“No, he hasn’t trained yet. He is still sick, and on a day-to-day basis. We will see today if he is available for the match tomorrow,” Martino said.
Beyond Busquets, David Ruiz and recently injured Ian Fray, the rest of the team is healthy for Saturday’s game.