It’s official: Alejandro ‘El Maestro’ Pozuelo traded to Inter Miami from Toronto FC

Spanish midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo is known as “El Maestro” because of his vision, creativity, and productive passes in the final third of the field, which explains why Inter Miami executives were delighted to announce Thursday that they acquired him in a trade with Toronto FC for the rest of this season -- and, they hope, beyond.

Pozuelo, the 2020 Major League Soccer MVP and league’s fourth-highest paid player at $4.69 million a year, will occupy a Designated Player spot for the club. In return, Inter Miami will send Toronto $75,000 in 2022 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $75,000 in 2023. Toronto will retain a sell-on percentage in the event of a future transfer or trade. Inter Miami will also send additional money if Pozuelo meets certain performance-based incentives.

Pozuelo arrived in South Florida with his family Wednesday night, began working out on his own at the team facilities Thursday morning, and will be eligible to train and play with the team pending receipt of his P-1 Visa.

“We’re thrilled to be able to welcome a player of Alejandro’s caliber. He has proven himself to be one of the brightest talents in the league and we are confident that will continue here in South Florida,” said Inter Miami chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson. “We were looking to add a decisive, creative attacking player and we feel he fits the profile.”

Pozuelo’s contract expires at the end of this season. Henderson said his future with Miami will depend, in part, on what decisions are made later this year regarding Inter Miami players on loan and still on their payroll, such as Designated Player Rodolfo Pizarro, who is with Monterrey in Mexico, forward Julian Carranza with Philadelphia Union and Matias Pellegrini with Estudiantes in Argentina.

Pozuelo is exactly the kind of player Miami has been seeking to increase goal production and make a push for the playoffs.

He is in his fourth MLS season and knows the league. He started 81 games for Toronto, notching 26 goals and 31 assists. He has also started in five playoff matches, scored two goals and had three assists.

At 30, he is still in his prime. His style of play fits well with coach Phil Neville’s philosophy and will complement the current roster, which has reliable striker Leo Campana and plenty of speedy wingers but could use an experienced playmaker to create more scoring chances.

Campana leads Miami with eight goals this season, but the team is among the lowest scoring in the league. All season, Neville has stressed the need for that final touch, the final pass that leads to goals. Pozuelo should help, as should French winger Corentin “Coco” Jean of RC Lens, who signed with Inter Miami last week.

“We believe Alejandro is a player of tremendous quality that we feel can be a real game changer for us,” Neville said. “He has the ability to put his foot on the ball and create composure. We’ve got fantastic speed, but at times we need to slow down and put our feet on the ball and take the extra pass. He brings great experience, is an MVP.

“We’ve already got a fantastic group of players and Pozuelo and Coco are two more good players to add to a young, hungry group. Without a shadow of a doubt the final third is where the difference makers are in MLS, the best teams have that game changer and we hope the two signings we made can give us more firepower, goals and assists.”

Right back DeAndre Yedlin said of Pozuelo: “He’s a creator, a real 10. He can pull something out of a hat for us if we need it. He has amazing vision. I’ve seen some of the assists he’s given and it’s incredible. Not only is he scoring goals, he’s creating goals. He ties everybody in as far as getting everyone on the ball and he’ll make us a better team. That’s exactly what we want.”

Pozuelo, a native of Sevilla, Spain, joined Toronto FC in 2019 and made an immediate impact. He scored two goals and had an assist in his league debut. He went on to score 12 goals with 12 assists that season and was a big reason Toronto advanced to the 2019 MLS Cup Final, where the Reds lost to the Seattle Sounders.

In 2020, he started all 23 games in the COVID-shortened season, played nearly every minute and was named MLS MVP with nine goals and 10 assists.

He missed 16 games last season with a lower leg injury and the father of three said family issues also made it a difficult year. He finished 2021 with one goal and four assists in 14 starts. He vowed to return to top form in 2022 and was one of Toronto’s most creative players this season with four goals and five assists in 16 games, but he wasn’t the perfect fit for new coach Bob Bradley’s system.

Prior to joining MLS, Pozuelo played for KRC Genk in the Belgian First Division (2015-2019), Rayo Vallecano in Spain’s LaLiga (2014-2015), Swansea City in the English Premier League (2013-2014), Real Betis in LaLiga (2011-2013) and Real Betis B in Spain’s Segunda División B (2010-2012).

Miami had a rough start this season, but has been on a good run of late, moving up to ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, two spots shy of the playoff line with 17 games remaining. The men in pink head into a Saturday game at Orlando City with a boost of confidence after just one loss in the past seven games. They are 3-1-3 during that stretch, including a 1-1 tie on the road at FC Dallas on Monday.