Josef Martinez will sign for Inter Miami, fill void left by Gonzalo Higuiaín

Josef Martinez will be Inter Miami's new star forward. The Venezuelan international, and former Serie A player, will fill the void left by Gonzalo Higuain's retirement. The announcement will be made official in the next few hours.

The MLS 2018 MVP's signing for Miami makes sense from both and athletic and marketing perspective. From a sports standpoint, Martinez is a proven MLS commodity, where he has scored 111 goals in 158 appearances with Atlanta United.

Why the signing makes sense for marketing purposes

From a marketing standpoint, the Venezuelan demographic has been growing at great speed in Florida, where it is estimated that over 102,000 Venezuelans live. It is also estimated that 35% of residents in Doral, one of Miami-Dade county's most important cities, were born in the South American country.

As the franchise focuses on moving to a new stadium in Miami, the goal to improve attendance and interest in home games in particular becomes one of its biggest crutches.

Inter Miami are getting a 'steal' financially

From a financial perspective, the signing is also a win for Inter Miami, as Martinez will not take one of the three Designated Player (DP) places on the squad. This implies that the forward will earn a maximum salary of $530k per season, but will likely receive additional money from Inter Miami's TAM fund (Targeted Allocation Money) which is set to $2.7 million in 2023.

According to reports, once Atlanta formally buys out his contract, his signing for Miami will be announced.

Inter Miami are looking to rebuild after the notable retirements of DP players Blaise Matuidi, and Gonzalo Higuain during the offseason. Martinez not occupying a DP slot will be crucial in Miami's efforts to lock down their dream signing: Lionel Messi.