Inter Miami Signs Ayala to Bolster Midfield in Rebuild

Inter Miami CF, fresh off their first MLS Cup title in 2025, has continued an aggressive offseason rebuild by signing Argentine defensive midfielder David Ayala from the Portland Timbers for 2 million in General Allocation Money. The 23-year-old joins the club through the end of the 2026 season under Major League Soccer's U22 Initiative, bolstering the midfield following the retirement of Sergio Busquets at the conclusion of last season.

Ayala, who made 37 appearances for Portland in 2025, brings significant league experience with four goals and two assists across 94 games since joining the Timbers in 2022 for 3.2 million from Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina. The move allows him to reunite with head coach Javier Mascherano, under whom he briefly trained during the final stages of Mascherano's playing career at Estudiantes. Ayala debuted professionally at age 17 for the Argentine club and has represented Argentina's youth national teams, including the U17 squad at the 2019 FIFA World Cup.

The signing addresses a key gap left by Busquets, the veteran Spanish midfielder whose elite passing and defensive acumen anchored Inter Miami's midfield under previous coaches Gerardo...