Inter Miami trades captain DeAndre Yedlin to MLS East rivals
Miami announced on Monday its biggest sale yet: DeAndre Yedlin. The USMNT veteran is moving to FC Cincinnati with immediate effect.
In 2021, Inter Miami was found guilty of breaching MLS's strict player wage cost cap rules. It was fined $2M and lost $2.4M in general allocation funds: enough for an 11.9% reduction of its salary budget.
With big-name, high-wage players like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez now on the payroll, Miami is scrambling to sell off players in order to avoid a similar fine. It sold defender Kamal Miller to Portland this winter and allowed striker Josef Martínez to move to Montréal as a free agent.
"We're excited to welcome DeAndre and his family to Cincinnati," said Chris Albright, the team's general manager. "He is a natural leader who will add valuable experience and quality to our group. We are confident he will be a great fit for us on and off the field, and we look forward to him joining us."
While it's no surprise that Miami is selling players, it's shocking to see the team let go of a player like Yedlin. At 30 years old, he's got a great balance of experience and longevity, and he was one of Miami's best players clear through the 2023 season. He's a respected leader, too--Yedlin captained Miami until Lionel Messi's arrival last summer.
It's also surprising to watch Miami sell Yedlin to Cincinnati, one of its biggest and most dangerous rivals in MLS East. Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters Shield based on its stellar goalscoring and spent the offseason shoring up its defense. Yedlin, then, joins a new-look Cincinnati back line that includes former Atlanta star Miles Robinson--one that looks capable of shutting out just about anyone in MLS, including Inter Miami.
Yedlin's sale is a gamble. Miami doesn't have a like-for-like replacement for him in its lineup and appears to be counting on its ex-Barcelona attack for leadership and ball control in Yedlin's absence.
But for Yedlin, it could be a stellar opportunity. He's on the hunt for his first-ever MLS Cup and Cincinnati looks like one of the clear favorites in the race for the trophy. If he can gel quickly in Ohio, Yedlin could prove to be the puzzle piece Cincinnati needs to string together another top season.
Inter Miami continues its MLS season this weekend away against Nashville SC. Cincinnati and Yedlin will take on D. C. United at home.
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