Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 4y

Mexico star Rodolfo Pizarro set to join Beckham's Inter Miami

Mexico international Rodolfo Pizarro is set to join Inter Miami CF as the club's second Designated Player after a deal with reigning Liga MX and CONCACAF champions Monterrey was agreed upon on Wednesday.

Monterrey released a statement on Wednesday confirming that Pizarro "unilaterally rescinds his contract with [the club] due to his wish to continue his sporting career with the new MLS franchise in Miami."

ESPN sources put the transfer fee at close to $12 million USD, almost two million more than Inter Miami -- co-owned by David Beckham -- was originally quoted by the player's representatives.

When asked on Wednesday about the fee, Monterrey sporting director Duilio Davino didn't reveal the pricetag but said the amount deposited "was more than what [Monterrey] paid for" Pizarro in his 2018 move from Chivas.

Pizarro had previously been linked with Chicago Fire, as well as clubs in Europe, but Inter Miami launched a bid for the player in January and sealed the deal after long, drawn-out negotiations surrounding which club would have to pay taxes on the fee.

The Tampico, Tamaulipas native won a Liga MX title in each of his stints with Pachuca, Chivas and Monterrey and also won the CONCACAF Champions League with the latter two sides.

The 25-year-old midfield playmaker will rejoin manager Diego Alonso, who coached Pizarro at Pachuca and Monterrey, as the club seeks to impact MLS in its debut season in the league.

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Rodolfo started his first team career as a right-back, but can also play on either wing, as well as centrally behind a striker.

The Pachuca youth team product has played 25 times for Mexico and his international career was revived in 2018 under Gerardo "Tata" Martino, after the disappointment of missing out on the 2018 World Cup. Pizarro was an important part of Mexico's 2019 Gold Cup victory.

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Pizarro becomes the fourth Mexican to head to MLS this offseason, following on from Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (LA Galaxy), Alan Pulido (Sporting Kansas City) and Oswaldo Alanis (San Jose Earthquakes).

Other notable El Tri stars include the Galaxy's Jonathan dos Santos and LAFC's Carlos Vela, who won the MVP award last season after scoring a league record 36 goals.

Inter Miami's first Designated Player was 19-year-old Estudiantes winger Matias Pellegrini and the club still has one DP spot available ahead of its MLS opener on the road to LAFC on March 1.

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