Nicolas Figal will miss Inter Miami CF's next two matches due to suspension, but the Argentine center back will remain part of the club for the foreseeable future as head coach Phil Neville dispels rumors of a potential transfer to Tigres UANL.
The Liga MX squad are reportedly interested in signing Figal on loan for the remainder of the season with an option to buy. Tigres would be looking to move quickly with the Liga MX transfer window closing on Thursday.
But Neville said he has no intention of letting him go, saying: “Nico Figal will be an Inter Miami player come Thursday morning, 100 percent.”
Miami’s back three, anchored by Figal, has played a significant role in the club’s Audi MLS Cup Playoffs push during the second half of the season. He’s started 20 of the 21 matches he’s appeared in this year.
Figal arrived in Miami via a transfer from Argentine side Independiente using Targeted Allocation Money ahead of the club's expansion season. The 27-year-old has been called into Argentina's national team though is yet to debut.
“There's speculation because Nico Figal has been absolutely outstanding, one of our most consistent players, probably the heart of our team in terms of his character and fight and size of his heart,” Neville said. “So, he’s not the type of player I want to be getting rid of at this moment in time. He’s not the type of player this team wants to be rid of either. He's the type of player we need in the center of our defense because he gives us a better chance to win football games.
“We want to win, and you can’t let your best players go. Unfortunately, we live in a world where obviously there’s lots of speculation, lots of agents around there who want to make their fast dollar. But ultimately, he's an Inter Miami player, we think the absolute world of him. The players absolutely love him. The supporters, I think, love him as well, and from now until the end of the season he’ll be an Inter Miami player.”
