Inter Miami trades Drake Callender to Charlotte FC, Fede Redondo also leaving
Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport was the first to report the news.
Callender, 27, has been injured most of this season, started only three games and has been out since having sports hernia surgery in April. He got injured during a January U.S. national team camp and lost the starting job to 39-year-old Argentine Oscar Ustari, a friend of Lionel Messi's who stepped up and played well in Callender's absence. Ustari has been praised for his leadership skills on and off the field.
Ustari missed a few recent games with a hamstring injury, and third-string keeper Rocco Rios Novo rose to the occasion, which apparently made Callender more expendable.
Callender played a club-record 118 games for Inter Miami and was the only player left from the club's original 2020 roster. He gave up 183 goals and had 19 shutouts.
The California native was co-captain of the team in 2023 and 2024, and kept Miami in many games with big saves.
'He speaks the international language, which is `He's a badass,'' said Henry Foulk, Callender's college goalkeeping coach at Cal Berkeley. 'These high-profile players are great, but they're aging, not as fast as they used to be, can't jump as high, and they know Drake can stop the ball and he's going to bail their ass out of some tough situations.'
Foulk lauded Callender's style of play.
'The great keepers go from having strong, hard hands to having soft, shock-absorbing hands,' Foulk said. 'Some guys bang balls out with flair but give up a lot more rebounds. Drake goes all out to get the ball and right when he gets there, he takes a deep breath for a fraction of a second and is then able to absorb the velocity of the ball, bring it in, collect and catch it.'
Despite his impressive resume in previous seasons, his injury struggles and Ustari's performance kept him out of Miami's plans. He will have to fight for a starting spot in Charlotte, as well, as that team has the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Kristijan Kahlina.
Callender isn't the only Inter Miami player on his way out. According to multiple reports, Argentine midfielder Fede Redondo is headed to Spanish La Liga club Elche. Soccer journalist Cesar Luis Merlo reported that Redondo was sold for a $2.5 million transfer fee, which is half of what Miami reportedly paid for him last year.
Redondo, 22, was a member of Argentina's U23 national team and is the son of former Real Madrid great Fernando Redondo. Despite his pedigree and high expectations, he had trouble keeping a starting job in a loaded midfield roster that includes Sergio Busquets, Yannick Bright, Benja Cremaschi, and the recently-signed Rodrigo De Paul, a star on Argentina's national team.
Merlo also reported that Inter Miami is in advanced talks with Mexican team Cruz Azul to sign Argentine defender Gonzalo Piovi.
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