Report: Inter Miami hold MLS discovery rights for De Bruyne
Inter Miami hold the discovery rights for Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne, sources told ESPN's Lizzy Becherano.
By holding De Bruyne's discovery rights, Inter Miami would have the first chance to negotiate with him if he decides to play in MLS after his Manchester City stint.
De Bruyne, 33, announced Friday that he'll leave Manchester City at the end of the season when his contract expires June 30. The Belgian star, who's been with Manchester City since 2015, will leave the club as one of the greatest Premier League midfielders of all time. He won several trophies with the Premier League giants, including six league titles and one UEFA Champions League crown.
Inter Miami stole headlines in recent years by signing the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. Messi and Co. remain unbeaten in MLS play and in second place in the Eastern Conference this season.
Inter Miami are also scheduled to play in the 2025 Club World Cup, but De Bruyne wouldn't be eligible to play in MLS until July 24 when the league's secondary transfer window opens, according to The Athletic's Paul Tenorio. Javier Mascherano's side will also participate in the Leagues Cup later in the summer.
Inter Miami would need some flexibility to potentially add De Bruyne and stay within the MLS roster rules. With Messi, Busquets, and Alba, the club already rosters the maximum of three designated players, the designation that allows players to be paid beyond the league's salary cap, per Tenorio. Therefore, De Bruyne would have a hard cap on his 2025 salary in the league.
MLS clubs can have up to five players on their discovery list at any given time, Becherano noted.
De Bruyne was also linked to San Diego FC last year, but the MLS expansion side reportedly isn't an option for him at the moment.