Inter Miami sells Nico Figal to Boca Juniors, gets international spot from Austin FC

Another day, another couple of roster moves for Inter Miami.

The third-year club, expected to make a few more player acquisitions in the coming weeks, announced that it paid Austin FC $225,000 in general allocation money in exchange for an international roster spot. It is unknown who that slot is earmarked for, but chief soccer officer Chris Henderson said they are shopping for a playmaker.

“We want to bring in a player who is going to help us create more chances, get in scoring opportunities, create more goals,” Henderson said. “We need to improve on that.”

Also, as expected, defender Nico Figal was sold to Argentine club Boca Juniors. The transfer fee was $2.6 million, according to multiple sources.

Figal, 27, joined Inter Miami two years ago and started 44 of 45 games. Known for his aggressive style and ability to push the ball into the attack, he was one of the Miami players who drew the most interest from other clubs.

“We would like to thank Nico for his contributions to the club in its first two seasons and wish him well in his desired return to his home country,” Henderson said. “This transaction gives us roster and salary cap flexibility ahead of our 2022 MLS campaign.”

Figal is the third starting defender from last season to depart, along with Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, who is on loan with River Plate, and Christian Makoun, who was traded to Charlotte FC. Ryan Shawcross retired.

The Makoun trade was for the No. 1 spot in the MLS Allocation Order, which would allow Miami to get U.S. national team defender DeAndre Yedlin. The 28-year-old speedy defender, whom Henderson knows well from their days with the Seattle Sounders, is looking to leave Turkish club Galatasaray and has shown interest in returning to MLS.

Other new defenders who have signed with Miami for 2022 include 6-4 Swedish-American Christopher McVey, 6-3 Jamaican national team captain Damion Lowe, 6-4 MLS Draft pick Ryan Sailor from the University of Washington, and 6-6 Aime Mabika, who was promoted from the club’s USL Fort Lauderdale team.

The added height should help Miami with set pieces.

McVey, 24, has made a good early impression on coach Phil Neville, who mentioned him as one of the newcomers who stood out the first week of training camp.

“McVey’s come in and hasn’t said that much but just does his talking on the football field, which is the type of player I like,” Neville said. “No frills. No histrionics. No drama. Comes into work, does his job, is part of a team.”

McVey’s father is American, a native of Indiana, and his mother is Swedish. His parents met when his mother was a high school exchange student in Indiana and they moved to Sweden, where Christopher was born.

He has spent his entire career with Elfsborg of the Swedish league and was looking for a new challenge.

“I’m here to win games and hopefully I can help the back line,” McVey said. “I’ve played all positions on the back line. I know what it takes, so hopefully I can help with leadership back there. I’ve been ready for a while to take the next step in my caeer, and this opportunity came up and it felt great right away. I’m really happy to be here.”

McVey grew up a fan of Neville’s and is looking forward to learning from the former Manchester United defender.

“He’s a legend, so it’s an honor to play for him,” McVey said. “I feel like I can learn a lot. He’s been in some big clubs and I hope to pick up as much as possible from him.”

Inter Miami is undergoing a massive roster overhaul for 2022. Veteran midfielder Victor Ulloa, one of the few holdovers from Season 1, is excited by the youthful energy in the new squad.

“The important part now is to build a bond and chemistry because there’s a lot of turnover,” Ulloa said. “A lot of young guys, hungry, ready to prove themselves and make a statement. It’s been a really intense, competitive first week.”

The team will play its first public preseason match on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Peruvian club Universitario de Deportes “La U”. It is the team’s first friendly against an international opponent. Tickets are $10 and available through Ticketmaster.com

The regular season kicks off Feb. 26 at home against the Chicago Fire.