Los Angeles Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz has revealed that Casemiro told the club he “only wanted to play for the Galaxy” before his move to Inter Miami.

The Brazilian midfielder, aged 34, joined Inter Miami on a free transfer from Manchester United in July, signing a deal running until the end of the 2027 MLS season.

His contract also includes an option to extend until June 2029, making it a significant long-term commitment to the Florida club.

Casemiro now plays alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, a partnership that has drawn widespread attention across the football world.

Kuntz, who oversees transfers at LA Galaxy, was speaking to the media following his side’s goalless draw with Dallas when the subject of MLS’s investigation arose.

“It is true that Casemiro called and said that he always wanted to play for Inter Miami,” Kuntz said, before adding a pointed remark about the timeline of events.

“It’s also true that came two months after he told us that he only wanted to play for the Galaxy,” Kuntz continued, raising serious questions about the handling of the transfer process.

The investigation centres on Casemiro’s discovery rights, an MLS regulation that grants a specific club first refusal over a player who wishes to join the league.

The rule has been in place since MLS was founded in 1996, allowing clubs to hold up to five players on their discovery list at any time, with no equivalent existing in European football.

MLS announced its investigation into Inter Miami’s signing of the five-time Champions League winner just minutes after the deal was officially confirmed by the club.

“The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete,” the league said in its official statement on the matter.

LA Galaxy held the discovery rights for Casemiro, though Inter Miami stated at the time of the announcement that they had acquired those rights from the Galaxy.

“The LA Galaxy and Inter Miami CF have reached a settlement for the discovery priority to sign Casemiro, and the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation currently open with Major League Soccer,” the Galaxy confirmed.

Casemiro himself had previously spoken publicly about his decision, insisting he made his preference known to LA Galaxy from the outset of discussions.

“I left it very clear to them that [I] wanted to join Miami,” Casemiro said, defending the manner in which he communicated his intentions to the Galaxy.

“When I spoke to [the Galaxy], I made it very clear which team I wanted to join in the MLS and that is Inter Miami because of the project, the hope and of course to play with the best player of all time,” he added.

Casemiro also cited his personal connection to the city, explaining that Miami has long been a second home for his family during their time off.

“In the end, [Miami]’s a city I love. My wife, my kids and I are always here when we have days off. We know the city,” he said.

Casemiro scored an own goal in Miami’s 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Sunday as Messi returned to action following the World Cup.

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