Lionel Messi's Inter Miami issue unlimited transfer budget warning to MLS rivals

Inter Miami have no budget limitations and will continue to build the best team possible after Tata Martino's resignation following their MLS playoff exit to Atlanta United

Inter Miami Jorge Mas has warned they will be working with an unlimited budget in a bid to turn this season's MLS Cup failure into a reality next term.

As Supporter's Shield winners, the team had high hopes with Lionel Messi as captain and the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba on board. However, their title dreams were crushed in a thrilling three-game series against Atlanta United, with Inter Miami winning the first match 2-1 but then losing 2-1 and 3-2. This has led to head coach Tata Martino being replaced by Javier Mascherano.

Now Mas has revealed the club will stop at nothing to build the best possible team, declaring "We're going to continue having the best team we can," he stated in a press conference.

"There are no budget limitations, we will bring the best players we can from anywhere in the world."

The move comes after Martino stepped down for personal reasons, having guided the team to win the 2023 Leagues Cup during his tenure, which saw him build a close bond with captain Messi in Miami.

Martino, who has worked with Messi at Barca, Argentina, and Miami, opened up about their relationship to the press. He said: "The truth is, I believe that out of the three opportunities we've had to work together, this has probably been the year and a half where we've been the closest, with much more frequent and direct contact. It also has to do with the stage of his career, everything he was achieving with the Argentina national team, the peace he was experiencing, and his growth as a professional,"

He added: "We found ourselves at a good moment for both of us and maintained very close contact throughout this year and a half. In this sense, I feel it was the best period of the three stages we've shared: Barcelona, the Argentina national team, and now Inter Miami."

Martino also revealed that his departure was not due to the playoff elimination to Atlanta, but a decision made prior to the playoff exit.

He stated: "Five or six days after the elimination, I met with Raul, spoke with Leo, and with Jorge. They were the first three to know about the news, and everything was going well until Tuesday, when I still hadn't spoken with the players, but by the time I went to talk to them, it was something they already knew."

He continued: "I definitely made the decision before the first playoff game. Of course, no one, not even my coaching staff, knew about this final decision. We had three games to play-although we aimed for fewer with Atlanta-and I didn't want there to be any distractions,".