Is Gregore a Designated Player for Inter Miami in 2023?
The team captain's contract status was one of the notable talking points during Day 1 of preseason
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There is more Designated Player murkiness in the South Florida waters.
Inter Miami officially kicked off its 2023 preseason on Monday, and one of the notable talking points following the first day of practice was the unclear contract status of team captain Gregore. Reports on social media in recent weeks have stated that the Brazilian midfielder has moved into the Designated Player threshold, which if true means that Gregore and the returning Rodolfo Pizarro currently occupy two of Inter Miami’s three DP slots.
Head coach Phil Neville was asked directly about Gregore’s roster designation on Monday afternoon, but the Englishman initially dodged the question.
“He is our captain,” said Neville. “He is the heart of our team. … He is our captain and he will be the one leading from the front this year.”
Asked again immediately after whether Gregore was a DP, Neville stated that he did not know.
“I think there are many mechanisms, isn’t there, to DPs in this league,” said Neville with a slight chuckle. “I mean it changes every day for me, so I will leave ‘whoever is a DP,’ to whoever has to sort that, and I just look at him as our captain.”
It might be hard to believe that a head coach is not aware of the roster designation of one of his starters and locker-room leaders, but the 28-year-old Gregore also stated on Monday that he himself had no knowledge as to whether he was now a Designated Player.
“I do not know what you are asking about because I am just trying to return from the offseason and begin working hard,” said Gregore in Spanish.” I do not know anything else from there. They have not spoken to me about that.”
Signed back in 2021 to a reported Targeted Allocation Money deal worth around $4 million, Gregore was also asked on Monday if his agent had held any contractual talks with him in recent weeks.
“I have a good relationship with my agent in which he talks to me when he is close to finalizing things,” said Gregore. “He knows I like to have a clear mind so I can focus on my work. At this moment, he has not said anything to me so I continue working in the same manner.
“As a player, you always want a better contract, but I am at ease with all of this.”
The uncertainty of Gregore’s roster designation will not only create some confusion for fans and observers on the outside, but it could also be impacting Inter Miami’s approach to the transfer market.
The South Florida side would have one less vacant DP slot available if Gregore is rostered as one in 2023, meaning one less option to try and sign impact players that can fill the void left by the retired Gonzalo Higuain.
“We have lost Gonzalo (and his) 15-16 goals, the assists, the aura, the attitudes around Gonzalo,” said Neville. “We need that replacing and we are working hard to do that.”