Major League Soccer has a more viable destination for players founded in Europe to make their careers bigger in recent years.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Carlos Vela are examples of the influx of talent. The new European star to reach the North American shores is Blaise Matuidi, who made his Inter Miami CF debut on Sunday in a 0-0 draw with Nashville.
In early September, ESPN reported that Gonzalo Higuaín was “very close” to leaving Juventus in Italy to sign for Inter Miami.
And then, of course, there’s Lionel Messi’s wild hypothesis about his ties to Manchester City, which has a stake in New York City FC.
For obvious reasons, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the biggest dream rookies in MLS, yet some other players can create quite a stir if they make it to North America.
For this list, players who have a realistic chance to move to MLS in the coming years, either because of their current situation at their club, their age or other factors.
For example, Messi and Ronaldo would possibly be looking for demanding new situations at the end of their careers, but existing stars of the US men’s national team would be looking for new situations. But it’s not the first time They just started in Europe wouldn’t be in the league at this stage.
Let’s start by getting rid of the obvious maximum.
The bustle of Messi’s two-week transfers has caused a stir in this aspect of the Atlantic due to the link between his imaginable destination in Manchester City and NYCFC.
According to ESPN’s Rodrigo Faez and Moises Llorens, Manchester City “were providing Lionel Messi with a long-term contract that would see him move to MLS’s New York City FC after 3 years in the Premier League. “
Of course, Messi has made the decision to stay in Barcelona for the 2020-21 campaign, but there is a chance he will decide to leave in the coming years.
Manchester City are the apparent candidate for any Messi’s move due to their relationship with manager Pep Guardiola, but MLS may only be a touchdown point if monetary knowledge can be calculated.
Messi is expected to accept a pay cut to enroll in an MLS team due to current wage dynamics. He would be considered a designated player, but even with that state, groups may not be able to pay him the $82. 6 million in base salary he has earned lately each year.
In 2019, Zlatan Ibrahimovic earned $ 7. 2 million for the Los Angeles Galaxy, and Bastian Schweinsteiger had a base salary of $ 5. 6 million with the Chicago Fire, according to the MLS player salary database.
Messi would earn more than those two former MLS stars, yet those salaries recommend that the league is not willing to splash somewhere in the top 8 figures for a foreign superstar’s salary.
If it came to MLS, it would probably be in a giant market like Miami, New York or Los Angeles, all of which can be destination cities for European exports.
We have defined the same monetary considerations with Messi as well as Cristiano Ronaldo.
The global superstar lately at Juventus would call for a significant drop in wages, and his most likely roster of destinations would be narrowed down to a few clubs in primary markets.
At 35, Ronaldo has one or two years left to play in the European elite, and the search for the Juve of a first name in the UEFA Champions League since 1996 will motivate him to remain at the Italian club.
A possible MLS MOVE to Ronaldo would not be the stigma of the “retirement league” which is still partially attached to the league, however any move at any time for the Portuguese star would be a no-brainer.
More illusions are being implemented to the idea of Antoine Griezmann appearing in MLS in the near future.
The 29-year-old Frenchman moved from Atlético de Madrid to Barcelona in 2019, but scored fewer than 10 goals in the Los Angeles League for the first time since the 2011/12 season and began the team’s humiliating 8-2 loss to him. Bayern. in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
If Griezmann is the favorite through Ronald Koeman’s coaching staff, there is the option that he will simply pass in search of more playing time with the option of winning foreign glory on the horizon with France in the 2022 World Cup.
Griezmann’s foreign teammate, Blaise Matuidi, just moved from Serie A to MLS. The Barcelona ahead have long shown their love for the NBA as well, and that might be somewhat minimal in their resolve, as NBA players have become more concerned with MLS ownership of late.
With NBA stars James Harden (Houston Dynamo) and Kevin Durant (Philadelphia Union) in home teams for more than 18 months, Griezmann can be drawn to the United States through this influence.
Convincing Griezmann to join MLS could require more effort than Hernández and Vela due to their foreign standing with France.
At 29, he may still need to chase European glory with Barcelona and attempt another World Cup crown in 2022, but MLS has him in their eyes for years to come and opts to replace the stage.
At some point, MLS enthusiasts will prevent Mario Balotelli from signing up for the league.
This moment is now.
The enigmatic Italian striker has bounced across Europe in his career and landed in Brescia in 2019.
Balotelli’s antics on and off the pitch have subsided since his Manchester City days, yet he remains a polarizing character, something MLS wants more of.
Even if it didn’t take place at an incredibly high point like Carlos Vela, Balotelli would be a constant risk in the last third.
At this level in your career, you would be an affordable option for an MLS club, and there may be a greater variety of groups that will attract you, but it would still make sense for a great club to sign you.
Keylor Navas is part of some of the recent move methods aimed at bringing CONCACAF players to MLS.
It would be difficult to remove the Costa Rican goalkeeper from Paris Saint-Germain at 33 years old, however, he will be a goal in the coming years due to his ties to the region and his stature on the court and on the foreign court.
Since goalkeepers tend to play longer between the 1930s and 1940s, Navas may place a role in the United States for a few years.
If he made it to MLS, Navas would be the most talented player in a position that includes USMNT goalkeeper Brad Guzan and Jamaica number one Andre Blake.
Some of the most moderate play goals may be more sensitive Mexican players like Héctor Herrera.
In years, Javier Hernández, Carlos Vela, Marco Fabián and the Dos Santos brothers have moved to the United States.
Herrera would have a similar effect on Jonathan dos Santos as the controlling force in the middle of the park.
The 30-year-old has extensive European experience from FC Porto and Atletico Madrid and would be an intriguing signing for a team like Los Angeles in a giant Hispanic market.
Herrera would have a higher value, but it would be a value that could be controlled along the same lines as his El Tri counterparts.