Casemiro said he wanted to play for us – Galaxy GM
LA Galaxy's general manager Will Kuntz has said Brazilian midfielder Casemiro told the club he "only wanted to play" for them, just two months before signing for Inter Miami instead. The claim comes as Major League Soccer investigates the circumstances of Casemiro's move to Inter Miami, focusing on whether the league's "discovery rights" rules, which give a specific club first refusal on a player, were properly followed.
Casemiro, 34, joined Lionel Messi at Inter Miami on a free transfer from Manchester United in July, agreeing a deal running to the end of the 2027 MLS season with an option to extend to June 2029. LA Galaxy held Casemiro's discovery rights, but Inter Miami said on announcing the signing that they had acquired these from the Galaxy; the two clubs say they have since reached a settlement over the discovery priority, though terms will only be released once MLS's tampering investigation concludes. Casemiro has said he made clear to the Galaxy that he wanted to join Miami because of his family's love of the city and the chance to play alongside Messi, while Kuntz insists the player had earlier told them the opposite.
- LA Galaxy GM says Casemiro once said he'd only join them
- MLS is probing Inter Miami's signing of Casemiro over discovery rights
- Clubs reached a settlement; terms await end of tampering investigation
New here? Start with this
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top men’s football league in the United States and Canada. Its clubs share some league-wide rules on player recruitment, including “discovery rights”, which give one club priority to pursue a player.
The LA Galaxy and Inter Miami are two MLS clubs, and Casemiro is a Brazilian midfielder who previously played for Manchester United. Inter Miami also has Lionel Messi in its squad, while MLS is examining how Casemiro’s move was handled under its recruitment rules.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Galaxy contends that Casemiro explicitly told them he wanted to play for the club, and they held his discovery rights as a result. The discovery rights system exists precisely to protect teams that have identified a player and secured their commitment; without this protection, if another club could simply sign such a player, the system would be meaningless and fail to serve its intended purpose.
The case against
Casemiro's stated reasons for choosing Miami—his family's strong connection to the city and the opportunity to play with Messi—represent legitimate personal and professional motivations that justify reconsidering an earlier preference. Players deserve agency in their careers, particularly those nearing its end, and discovery rights provide first refusal rather than permanent commitment to an earlier stated preference; the clubs' settlement indicates Inter Miami navigated the process properly.