FORT LAUDERDALE, July 23 -- The announcement came with a probe attached. Inter Miami CF confirmed the signing of Casemiro on Wednesday afternoon, and within minutes MLS disclosed it had opened a formal investigation into the club for possible tampering in connection with the same transfer. The Brazilian midfielder agreed to terms as a free agent, but the league's simultaneous scrutiny of how negotiations were conducted turned what should have been a straightforward arrival into the most contested signing of the summer window.

Casemiro, 34, arrives at Inter Miami after a career built almost entirely around winning the most demanding competitions in football. He spent nine years at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2022, accumulating five UEFA ...