Inter Miami extends Jordi Alba, longtime Messi teammate, through 2027 | OneFootball

Inter Miami has reached an agreement with Jordi Alba on a contract extension running through the end of the 2027 season, the club announced on Thursday.

Alba, age 36, is the youngest of Inter Miami's former FC Barcelona quartet led by Lionel Messi. And the announcement comes while the Herons are thought to be nearing an extension for Messi and potentially Suarez as well.

Alba has five assists this season, and five goals and 19 assists in MLS overall since joining the Herons along with Messi during the 2023 MLS secondary transfer window.

His last two assists came in Wednesday night's 3-3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Alba has also been one of the more durable members of that veteran quartet, appearing in 46 of 58 league games for the Herons since his arrival.

Messi and Suarez next?

Conventional wisdom suggests that Alba's extension could mean the Herons are closer to securing Messi and potentially Suarez's futures beyond the current campaign.

It's possible sealing Alba's return was even one of the conditions of the club's negotiations with its biggest star, who has been the catalyst for the Blaugrana reunion in South Florida.

That said, there are other reasons Miami may have wanted to complete Alba's deal now.

While terms were not disclosed, Alba's extension could potentially have restructured his contract in a way that could make it easier to buy him out of his current Designated Player status within the MLS roster rules, paving the way for another big summer addition.

When Miami was previously connected to Kevin De Bruyne earlier this year, removing Alba's DP tag was seen as one of the potential ways to make the roster math work.

Also, while Alba is not exactly a likely transfer target by clubs elsewhere, Miami could now fetch a nominal fee for the fullback if the Spaniard decided he wished to finish his career elsewhere, perhaps his first La Liga club Valencia, or his boyhood side Gimnastic of Spain's Segunda Division.