"De Paul? A world champion, he'd be more than welcome"

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said on Friday that there’s nothing official yet regarding Rodrigo De Paul’s potential arrival, but made it clear that "if there’s a chance he joins the team, he'd be more than welcome".

"He's a world-class player and a World Cup winner. If there's an opportunity for him to come, he'd be welcome because he would definitely be a big asset to the team", Mascherano said in his press conference ahead of Saturday's clash with the New York Red Bulls.

The Argentine coach added that the Atlético Madrid midfielder "would obviously improve" the current Inter Miami squad, although he reiterated that "nothing is official" at this stage.

Mascherano also addressed the importance of securing three points to close out what he called "a marathon" of fixtures — with Saturday marking Miami's fifth MLS match in just 15 days.

"We want to end this marathon we've had over the past two weeks in the best possible way", he stated. During that span, Messi’s side has recorded three wins and one loss — a 3–0 defeat to Cincinnati on Wednesday.

While Mascherano expressed hope that his players could finally rest after the match against New York, he acknowledged that some, including Messi, will be involved in the MLS All-Star Game on July 23.

"I'd like them to get some rest during the long week after all they've put in, but it's not up to me. I understand how important the All-Star Game is in this league and in this country", he concluded.