Inter Miami want Allen Obando to be the next Leo Campana. Easier said than done. | OneFootball

Inter Miami made it official Tuesday: They've added 18-year-old Ecuadorian youth international and SC Barcelona (of Ecuador) striker Allen Obando on loan until the end of the 2025 season.

The hope is that Obando fills one of the few remainig holes in the Herons' roster: A backup center forward that can fill significant minutes when either Lionel Messi or Luis Suarez is unavailable.

And while it may seem like a relatively low-risk proposition for someone who has already proven he can score in Ecuador's top flight, a look through last season's results shows just how vital Campana's production was.

Campana was clutch

With Messi missing nearly half of Miami's regular season matches last season, and Suarez out for a chunk of time at Copa America, Campana got more run than your typical reserve forward, making 14 starts and playing 28 matches total. Despite having to adjust to a hybrid role, his production was more or less in line with his career norms, scoring eight goals and 0.56 goals per 90 minutes used.

Being able to maintain production in a frequently changing role is a skill in itself, the good news for Obando is that he's already sort of occupying that role with his first-team minutes, playing in the Ecuadorian top flight primarily off the bench.

But where Camapana really shined was in the clutch. Of his eight goals last season, six of those either tied the match or gave his side the lead. Three of those were game-winning goals. Two of them were game-winning goals scored in second half stoppage time.

Less minutes need in 2025?

To be fair, Miami doesn't need Obando to have that kind of clutch factor to have a season as successful as 2024. Even with their commitment to the Concacaf and Champions Cup and the Club World Cup, Miami still has less schedule conflicts with possible international matches this season than last. And if Messi and Suarez stay health -- a big if, mind you, as Messi has already dealt with more issues this season -- Obando may not find himself given nearly as large a role as Campana.

Further, Miami just set the all-time MLS points record in 2024. It's probably of considerably less importance this season among those at the club that they win the Supporters' Shield this season, relative to the goals of winning Concacaf Champions Cup and/or MLS Cup.

But the possibility is there for the 18-year-old to be counted on far more than he has so far in his club career in Ecuador, where he's scored four times in all competitions in 21 appearances.

The good news is other young players have flourished alongside Messi duirng his Miami tenure. Benjamin Cremaschi was the same age as Obando now when he began teamming with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. He is now reportedly attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur for the summer transfer window, among other European clubs. Telasco Segovia is a bit older at age 21, but he has had a rampant start to live in MLS, scoring three times in his first four MLS appearances.