Federico Higuain set to leave D.C. United to join brother Gonzalo at Inter Miami
Inter Miami fans will soon have two Higuains to root for.
Federico Higuain, the older brother of newly signed forward Gonzalo Higuain, has requested a trade to Miami from D.C. United and the clubs are working on a deal, an league spokesperson confirmed Friday night. The Washington Post first reported the potential trade.
The siblings last played together with River Plate in Argentina from 2005 to 2007.
The elder Higuain, 35, is a forward and attacking midfielder. He played 157 games in Argentina’s first division, including spells at River Plate and Independiente from 2003 to 2012. He went on to play in Turkey and Mexico before joining the Columbus Crew in 2012 for a club record $650,000. He won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award in his debut season.
He made nearly 200 appearances and scored over 50 goals for the club, and this season joined D.C. United as a player-coach. He played in 10 games for D.C. this season, all as a substitute, and scored goals against Toronto and New England at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando.
Unlike his brother Gonzalo, known for his clinical finishing, Federico is more of a playmaker. His strengths are his vision, passing, ball control and play off the ball. His nickname is “Pipa,” like their father, and Gonzalo is “Pipita.” He is also known for his charismatic personality.
A United source told the Washington Post: “His dream is to play with his brother.” The source said D.C. wanted to keep him, “but we know family is important.”
When D.C. signed him earlier this year, general manager Dave Kasper said: “Federico has consistently been one of the best attacking players in the league since 2012. He has been a consistent goal-scorer and creator on the field.”
Federico suffered an ACL injury in 2019 and Columbus let him go.
“He’s an absolute legend,” Crew General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko said at the time. “From my time in the league, it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make personally.”
Assuming the deal goes through, Federico would be reunited with longtime Crew teammate Wil Trapp, an Inter Miami midfielder. Inter Miami plays at home Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Houston Dynamo.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 8:29 PM.