Did Inter Miami make a $15m mistake signing German Berterame?

Inter Miami paid $15 million to sign German Berterame from CF Monterrey, a move that looks puzzling after the Herons won the MLS Cup having largely thrived without a traditional striker. After Luis Suarez was suspended and then benched, Lionel Messi moved to a false nine and the team dominated the final, raising questions about the necessity of a centre-forward signing.

Messi’s influence on the squad is clear: Javier Mascherano was appointed head coach and Miami have pursued several Argentine players, and Berterame was born in Argentina. Historically Messi has been most effective as a false nine rather than playing alongside a conventional centre forward, with past examples such as the Ibrahimovic era at Barcelona and even Thierry Henry needing time to adjust.

Berterame’s recent career has been spent mostly through the middle — 64 starts as a centre forward and three as a left winger — and he scored 68 goals in 153 games for Monterrey.

Argentina, Monterrey

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