Brazilian midfielder Casemiro joined Argentine star Lionel Messi to defend the colors of Inter Miami, as announced by the latter on Wednesday, but the Major League Soccer (MLS) immediately announced it is investigating allegations that the club violated negotiation rules in this deal.

Casemiro, who played 91 international matches for Brazil and won the UEFA Champions League five times with Real Madrid, became a free agent after English club Manchester United decided not to renew his contract following a mixed four-year period with the Premier League giant.

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The 34-year-old midfielder chose to join Messi and fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul at Inter Miami, the club co-owned by Englishman David Beckham. Jorge Mas, managing owner of Inter Miami, said: 'Casemiro's arrival reflects the vision and ambition that define Inter Miami. We never settle. We always seek to grow, improve, and raise our standards every season.' He added: 'We have built a global club with a vision to become not only the best club in the United States but also a global benchmark.' However, moments after the announcement, MLS said in a statement: 'We are reviewing allegations regarding a violation of negotiation rules by Inter Miami.' The investigation concerns the 'discovery rights' in place in MLS, which clubs must obtain before beginning negotiations to sign certain prominent players. LA Galaxy held the discovery rights for Casemiro and it is understood they will receive compensation from Inter Miami. The statement said: 'MLS is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete.' It added: 'While Inter Miami and LA Galaxy have reached a settlement regarding the discovery priority to sign Casemiro, the terms will be announced after the conclusion of the investigation into the alleged violation of negotiation rules.' While other clubs also feature prominent international stars, such as South Korean Son Heung-min (LAFC), the signing of Casemiro strengthens Inter Miami's status as the most star-studded club in MLS. In December, Inter Miami won its first league title and moved to a brand new stadium in April. But the club has faced issues with player transfers before. In 2020, the transfer of French 2018 World Cup champion Blaise Matuidi from Juventus to Inter Miami led to an MLS investigation, resulting in a $2 million fine for violating salary cap rules. MLS resumed last week after a mid-season break due to the World Cup, hoping to capitalize on the soccer excitement generated by the global finals that concluded Sunday with Spain winning the title over Messi and Argentina. One of the league's post-World Cup promotional slogans read: 'Thank you, world. From here, we take over.' Casemiro said in a club statement that he is motivated to 'win and continue to evolve' with Inter Miami, adding: 'The project the club presented to me, along with the effort everyone made to bring me here, means a lot to me.' Beckham said: 'He is a winner who has achieved so much in the game, and after an incredible career with Real Madrid and Manchester United, I am very happy that he has decided to make Miami his new home.'