Kevin De Bruyne, the star midfielder for Manchester City, recently announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, sparking interest from teams around the world. Inter Miami, owned by Lionel Messi, has long been attached to De Bruyne, and it was revealed this week that they hold his “discovery rights” in Major League Soccer.
Discovery rights are a unique mechanism in MLS that allows a team to claim priority over a player they are interested in signing. The rules surrounding discovery rights are complex, but they are designed to give smaller-market teams a chance to sign desirable players while preventing bidding wars among the league’s wealthiest clubs.
Clubs can place up to five players on their discovery list, with guidelines on which players are eligible. If multiple clubs claim the same player, the club with lower performance in the current season gets priority. If a club wants to sign a player on another club’s list, they can offer $50,000 of allocation money for the player’s rights.
Despite the intention of discovery rights to create a fair process, there have been cases where clubs and players have manipulated the system. High-profile instances include Orlando City offering a larger contract to a player on D.C. United’s list, and former Atlanta United goalkeeper Josh Cohen filing a grievance over a low-ball offer from his own club.
Overall, discovery rights in MLS remain a unique aspect of the league’s player acquisition process. With Inter Miami holding De Bruyne’s rights, it is speculated that they may be one of the few teams capable of affording the Belgian midfielder’s services.
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