The American club Inter Miami confirmed, after six months on loan, that it has exercised the buyout clause for Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. According to the Argentine News Agency, the World Cup champion and two-time Copa América winner had been valued at 12 million euros, plus an additional three in objectives, by Spanish Atlético de Madrid. Thus, the pink-shirted team secured one of its main figures for the upcoming seasons after winning its first MLS title in history. Rodrigo De Paul will continue to be a teammate of Argentine star Lionel Messi, as it was confirmed that Inter Miami has exercised its purchase option for 15 million euros. Having arrived at the American club in July of this year, in a transfer that shook the transfer market and Argentine football with months to go before the start of the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, Rodrigo De Paul played a total of 23 matches for the "Flamingos". The midfielder, a product of Racing, made his debut in the Leagues Cup, a tournament that brings together American, Mexican, and Canadian teams in a cup format, where he scored his first goal for the club in the group stage against Mexican Pumas, and advanced to the final, which they lost 3-0 to American Seattle Sounders. De Paul's path continued in the MLS, tournament in which he was a starter in nine of the 11 matches he was called up for, finishing the regular season in third place in the eastern conference. Upon reaching the playoffs stage, Inter Miami had a very good run: eliminating Nashville after a playoff match, it knocked out Cincinnati in the quarterfinals 4-0 and defeated New York City 5-1 in the semi, advancing to the tournament final. There, Inter Miami received the American Vancouver, and the midfielder with a past in Spanish and Italian football was able to score for the first time in the local tournament, marking the second goal of the final instance, which saw Inter Miami win 3-1. In addition to his purchase, the club chaired by Englishman David Beckham also mentioned among its players for the next season Messi and other Argentine players, such as goalkeeper Óscar Ustari, defenders Tomás Avilés and Gonzalo Luján and forward Mateo Silvetti, also mentioning that the loan of full-back Marcelo "Chelo" Weigandt had expired.
