Inter Miami newcomer Federico Redondo has poise, pedigree to make immediate impact

MIAMI — Federico Redondo is just 21 years old and has spent barely a week with Inter Miami since leaving Argentinos Juniors, but the midfielder has poise beyond his years and a soccer pedigree that helped prepare him to handle the spotlight that comes with playing alongside Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.

He has been around famous soccer players since he was born.

Redondo is the son of former Real Madrid and AC Milan great Fernando Redondo, who played defensive midfield, the same position as Federico. The maternal side of his family tree, led by patriarchs Jorge and Eduardo Solari, produced 12 professional soccer players and coaches over three generations.

The younger Redondo is already making a name for himself, having helped the Argentina U23 team qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Several European clubs were interested in signing him, including Bayern Munich, but Inter Miami offered a chance to play with his boyhood idol Messi, other big names and he was intrigued by the club’s plans.

“The MLS has been growing a lot and will keep growing, and Inter Miami is very ambitious, trying to win championships; and, of course, I fulfill a dream by playing with players such as Leo, Jordi, Luis and Sergio,” he told the Miami Herald Tuesday after his introductory news conference.

Miami paid Argentinos Juniors a transfer fee of more than $5 million to get him, according to a league source, and with performance incentives it could go up to the $7 million range. He joins the team under the U22 Initiative, replacing fellow Argentine Facundo Farias, who sustained a season-ending ACL injury during Miami’s first preseason game.

Like Busquets, the 6-2 Redondo is lanky, deep-lying midfielder known for his field vision. He is always “looking for the best option” and is equally comfortable defending and sending the ball forward to attackers.

Although he grew up as a Real Madrid fan because of his father, he is delighted to have four former Barcelona stars as his new teammates.

“Aside from being a fan of Real Madrid, I am a fan of great futbol,” Redondo said. “That Barca team played very well, and I can learn a lot from them.”

Although he grew up admiring Messi, it was usually from a distance. Redondo said he trained against him once with the youth national team and took a photo with him. He said Messi and the other marquee players gave him a warm welcome.

“They are humble people who received me in the best way,” he said. Redondo will wear No. 55, an homage to his father’s No. 5, a number often worn by center backs and defensive midfielders. The Inter Miami No. 5 is taken by Busquets.

Redondo considers Busquets as a role model and is eager to learn from him.

“The hardest thing about futbol is finding the best option, when you are on the field you always have two or three options, and the best players are the ones who find the best options,” Redondo said. “Sergio is a great example of that.”

He said he is ready to step in if needed Thursday on the road against Nashville SC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.

Redondo will be coached by Tata Martino, a former teammate of his father’s. They played together for one season in Spain with Tenerife in 1991.

“From the moment the talks started with Inter Miami, my father told me that Tata is a great person and that helped me [make the decision],” Redondo said.

Redondo is an NBA fan, especially of former Argentine star Manu Ginobili, and said he will now start following the Miami Heat.

He had never been to Miami before signing with the team, and the only people he knows are Inter Miami teammates Farias and Tomas Aviles, whom he played with on Argentina’s U23 team. He said they have been helping him get adapted.

Jean Mota transferred to Vitoria

Inter Miami announced Tuesday it has transferred midfielder Jean Mota to Brazilian team Vitoria. Mota, 30, joined Inter Miami before the 2022 season and played 53 games for the club. He had three goals and seven assists.

Brazilian media reported that Vitoria paid Miami a $350,000 transfer fee. The move also opens up salary cap space for future deals. Mota’s 2023 salary was $828,750.

“We would like to thank Jean for his dedication and contributions throughout his time at Inter Miami and wish him well in this next step in his career as he returns home to Brazil,” said Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson. “This move gives us flexibility as we continue building our squad to compete for titles this season.”