Inter Miami is finalizing a deal to sign Ecuadorian defensive midfielder Dixon Arroyo, an experienced,

hard-nosed player who is being added to replace injured team captain Gregore, expected to miss six months with a leg injury.

Arroyo, 30, previously played for Ecuadorian club Emelec. He is known for his physicality, courage to take on tackles and his leadership skills,

which make him a natural to step in for Gregore. Arroyo also has played for Ecuador’s national team, where he was a teammate of Inter Miami forward Leo Campana.

Emelec released Arroyo from his contract on Saturday, the player flew to South Florida over the weekend and was undergoing the team physical on Monday,

according to multiple team sources. Once his paperwork is done, he will begin training with the team, likely by the end of the week.

Inter Miami is mired in a five-game losing slump after starting the season with a pair of wins. The latest loss was 1-0 at home to FC Dallas on Saturday night. Gregore’s absence has been noticeable, and the addition of Arroyo is expected to bolster that area of the field. The team is off this weekend and plays next April 22 on the road against Houston.

Bryce Duke, typically an attacking midfielder, has been taking on a more defensive role in recent weeks as a stop-gap, but that is not his natural position.

Before joining Emelec in 2018, Arroyo played for Independiente del Valla, LDU Loja and Deportivo Quito. He made his Ecuador national team debut in March 2021 against Bolivia. He bid farewell to his teammates through an Instagram post, which read, in part: “Every beginning has an end. I appreciate all my teammates and coaches who have been part of my time at this marvelous club, which gave me the opportunity play here. I will always take these colors (blue and white) in my heart. I wish success to this club, where I was very happy day to day, in every training session and game, where I gave my maximum.”