Inter Miami have worked out a way to pay Luis Suarez an impressive salary despite allocating their Designated Player slots already, while West Ham are ready to sell Pablo Fornals to raise more transfer funds for their attack this January. Elsewhere, Juventus have got cold feet over the proposed signing of Premier League duo Jadon Sancho and Kalvin Phillips because of their wage demands.
The Mirror believes that Inter Miami have come up with a way to afford Luis Suarez, despite not planning to sign him as a Designated Player (DP). By using Targeted Allocation Money instead, they can still offer him a hefty salary without going over DP limits. The paper explains: “Inter Miami are set to exploit a MLS loophole to sign veteran striker Luis Suarez and reunite him with Lionel Messi.
“Suarez recently played his final home game for Brazilian club Gremio, bidding an emotional goodbye to their adoring fans. The Uruguayan is closing in on a deal with Inter Miami, although personal terms are yet to be agreed as Gremio conclude the season against Fiuminense this week.
“MLS teams are allowed to sign three players above the salary cap, assigned as Designated Players. However, Messi and another ex Barcelona star Sergio Busquets occupy two spots, while Brazilian midfielder Gregore is the third and final DP.
”Inter Miami are instead expected to use Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to keep Suarez’s salary below the DP threshold. It would mean the striker would take home a salary of around £158,000 per year, which pales in comparison to some of his previous contracts - but Suarez is eager to reunite with Messi, Busquets and Jordi Alba.
The final contract
“All teams are allowed up to three Designated Players, whose salaries exceed the league’s Maximum Salary Budget Charge ($651,250 in 2023). Clubs also can use their annual TAM allotment to add to their rosters and buy down existing contracts to open space for new high-priced players. In 2024, the TAM amount available is £1.9million.”
