Mexico international Rodolfo Pizarro is set to join Inter Miami CF as the club's second Designated Player after a deal with reigning Liga MX and CONCACAF champion Monterrey was agreed upon on Wednesday, according to ESPN sources.
Monterrey sporting director Duilio Davino told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the deposit from Inter Miami hadn't yet been received, but that Pizarro had indicated his willingness to leave and that he expected it to be completed.
Pizarro was left out of Monterrey's squad for the team's 0-0 tie against Santos Laguna in Copa MX action on Tuesday. He also missed Wednesday's training session.
Pizarro had previously been linked with Chicago Fire, as well as clubs in Europe, but Inter Miami launched a bid for the player in late-January and sealed the deal after long, drawn-out negotiations surrounding which club would have to pay taxes on the fee.
ESPN sources put the transfer fee at close to $12 million USD, almost two million more than Inter Miami was originally quoted by the player's representatives.
The 25-year-old midfield playmaker will rejoin manager Diego Alonso, who coached Pizarro at Pachuca and Monterrey, as David Beckham's club seeks to impact MLS in its debut season in the league.
- When does the 2020 MLS season begin? All you need to know
- Stream MLS games LIVE on ESPN+
The Tampico, Tamaulipas native won a Liga MX title in each of his stints with Pachuca, Chivas and Monterrey and also won the CONCACAF Champions League with Chivas and at Monterrey.
Rodolfo started his first team career as a right-back, but can also play on either wing, as well as centrally behind a striker.
The Pachuca youth team product has played 25 times for Mexico and his international career was revived in 2018 under Gerardo "Tata" Martino, after the disappointment of missing out on the 2018 World Cup. Pizarro was an important part of Mexico's 2019 Gold Cup victory.
- Chicharito gets work visa, set for Galaxy debut
Pizarro becomes the fourth Mexican to head to MLS this offseason, following on from Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (LA Galaxy), Alan Pulido (Sporting Kansas City) and Oswaldo Alanis (San Jose Earthquakes).
Other notable El Tri stars include the Galaxy's Jonathan dos Santos and LAFC's Carlos Vela, who won the MVP award last season after scoring a league record 36 goals.
Inter Miami's first Designated Player was 19-year-old Estudiantes winger Matias Pellegrini and the club still has one DP spot available ahead of its MLS opener on the road to LAFC on March 1.