Inter Miami sign Casemiro

Inter Miami announced the signing of Brazil midfielder Casemiro as a free agent on Wednesday, but Major League Soccer (MLS) said that it was investigating a "tampering allegation" against the club.

The league's probe ​cast a shadow over the midfielder's arrival, with MLS saying that it would withhold details ‌of a settlement between Inter Miami and LA Galaxy over Casemiro's discovery rights until the review concludes.

Inter Miami said that they had signed the five-time Champions League winner - who left Manchester United at the end of last season - ​on a deal through the 2027 MLS Sprint campaign, with an option to extend to ​June 2029.

Yet the league then said in a statement that it had launched ⁠an investigation and was gathering all relevant information and would refrain from further comment until ​the review was complete.

MLS confirmed that Inter Miami and the Galaxy had reached a settlement over Casemiro's Discovery ​Priority rights, but said that the terms "will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation".

Under MLS rules, clubs must negotiate discovery rights with any team that previously listed a player before signing him outside the draft or free ​agency.

The Galaxy had held rights to Casemiro before he opted to join Miami instead.

The league ​did not specify potential penalties or a timeline for when the investigation might conclude.

In their statement announcing the signing, ‌Inter ⁠Miami said that the club had acquired his discovery rights from the Galaxy as part of the deal.

LA Galaxy said on social media platform X that they had "reached a settlement for the Discovery priority to sign Casemiro, and the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation currently ​open with MLS."

Reuters ​has contacted both ⁠Inter Miami and LA Galaxy for comment on the MLS investigation.

Casemiro, 34, won five Champions League titles and three Spanish league titles over eight seasons ​at Real Madrid before moving to Manchester United in 2022, where he ​helped the ⁠club win the English League Cup and FA Cup.

"What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow," Casemiro said in Inter Miami's statement.

Casemiro ⁠has made ​91 appearances for Brazil and won the 2019 Copa America. 

He has played in three World Cups, starting all five of Brazil's matches in this year's tournament before they were ​eliminated in the round of 16 by Norway.