da mrbet： The 21-year-old, who is the son of a Real Madrid legend, is set to arrive in South Beach after an $8m transfer fee was agreed

da brdice： Sergio Busquets will go down as one of the best midfielders of his era. Tall, intelligent, smooth on the ball – he could do just about everything. Busquets was rarely the star of the show and often overlooked in favor of his star Barcelona and Spain teammates, but make no mistake, he was often the one that ran the game from his place in the center of the field.

So what would happen if you took Busquets, brought him to a lab and created a total clone of him, just 15 years younger? And what would happen if you let that clone learn from the man himself for a bit early on in his career?

Well, Inter Miami are about to come as close as you can to finding out as they complete a deal to sign Federico Redondo, the Busquets regen that the MLS favorites are betting on to become the game's next star midfielder.

The Herons are close to signing Redondo, who looks set to link up with Busquets, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba in South Florida. The move to MLS is a huge step in the Argentine's career, especially considering the fact that Redondo had drawn interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich in the past.

So who is Redondo and what has brought him to Miami? GOAL takes a look…

GettyWhere it all began

Redondo was given something of a head start. Once you learn where he comes from, his talent makes plenty of sense.

The 21-year-old midfielder is the son of Fernando Redondo, the former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder. The elder Redondo won two league titles and two Champions League titles with Madrid, one league title and one Champions League title with Milan, and in addition, lifted the Copa America in 1993 with Argentina.

That's not all, though. Redondo's grandfather is Jorge Solari, a former Argentina international whose nephew, Santiago, also went on to reach incredible heights as a player for Real Madrid. So to say that Redondo comes from a footballing family is something of an understatement!

At age 10, Federico enrolled into the academy of Argentinos Juniors, following in his father's footsteps. He signed his first professional contract with the club in 2021, and his debut in July 2022 as a substitute to kickstart his professional career.

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

Since making his debut for Argentino Juniors, Redondo has become a regular, featuring 59 times, including in seven Copa Libertadores matches in 2023. His big moments, though, have come at international level.

In Argentina's youth setup, Redondo has emerged as a future star. He first caught the international eye at the Under-20 World Cup in 2023, proving to be Argentina's standout despite the team's premature exit. To start 2024, he's been a regular for Argentina's U23s, helping them qualify for the upcoming Olympics.

There's talk that Messi may be in that Olympic squad, but Redondo won't need to wait that long to play with his country's hero as he prepares for his Inter Miami move.

GettyHow it's going

Redondo's rise has caught the eyes of European giants, with several paying close attention to the midfielder in recent months.

His father's former clubs, AC Milan and Real Madrid, are among those that have been linked to the midfielder. Liverpool have been, too, with reports saying the club sees Redondo as someone who could play alongside Alexis Mac Allister. Manchester United and Bayern Munich have also been mentioned in despatches.

Miami, though, have won out. After losing Facundo Farias to a season-ending ACL injury, the Herons have room to add another U22 initiative player as a replacement. They're using that to sign Redondo, adding the talented midfielder to their loaded squad after agreeing an $8 million (£6.4m) fee with Argentinos Juniors.

With the move, Redondo will get the chance to learn under Busquets, the player he has most often been compared to during his short top-flight career.

Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

It often takes time for a young player to develop the awareness and intelligence needed to anchor a midfield. Redondo, though, hasn't needed much time at all.

Despite his age, Redondo has already mastered the art of spacing; finding it on the attacking end and eliminating it defensively. When his team has the ball, Redondo drifts into large pockets, making himself available to receive the ball in an area where he'll have time to assess his next best option. And without the ball, his ability to read the game has led to plenty of interceptions.

Physically, though, Redondo stands out in a big way. At 6'2, he has a lanky build, but also has a burst of pace to him as well. When neccessary, he can drive with the ball before picking out the pass needed to ignite an attack.