6 Dream European Player Signings for MLS Clubs

Major League Soccer has become a more viable destination for European-based players to extend the primes of their careers in recent years.

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Carlos Vela are recent examples of the influx of talent. The latest European-based star to come to North American shores is Blaise Matuidi, who made his Inter Miami CF debut Sunday in a 0-0 draw with Nashville.

In early September, ESPN reported Gonzalo Higuain is "very close" to leaving Juventus in Italy to join Inter Miami.

And then, of course, there is the wild Lionel Messi speculation due to his potential connections with Manchester City, which has an ownership stake in New York City FC.

For obvious reasons, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the biggest dream signings for MLS, but a few other players could generate a high level of buzz if they came over to North America.

For this list, we considered players who have a realistic chance of making a move to MLS in the next few years, either because of their current club situations, age or other factors.

For example, Messi and Ronaldo may be looking for new challenges at the ends of their careers, but current United States men's national team stars just getting started in Europe would not consider the league at this juncture.

Lionel Messi

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Let's get the obvious ones out of the way first.

Messi's two-week transfer hubbub caused a stir on this side of the Atlantic because of the link between his possible destination in Manchester City and NYCFC.

According to ESPN's Rodrigo Faez and Moises Llorens, Manchester City was "weighing up offering Lionel Messi a long-term contract that would see him move to MLS partner club New York City FC after three years in the Premier League."

Of course, Messi decided to remain at Barcelona for the 2020-21 campaign, but there is always a chance he opts to leave in the coming years.

Manchester City is the obvious candidate for any Messi transfer because of his connections to manager Pep Guardiola, but MLS could emerge as a landing spot if the financials can be figured out.

Messi would have to take a pay cut to join any MLS team because of the salary dynamics in place. He would be considered a Designated Player, but even with that status, teams may not be able to pay him the $82.6 million in basic wages he currently earns yearly.

In 2019, Zlatan Ibrahimovic made $7.2 million for the L.A. Galaxy, and Bastian Schweinsteiger had a base salary of $5.6 million with the Chicago Fire, per the MLS player salary database. 

Messi would likely make more than those two former MLS stars, but those salaries suggest the league is not willing to splash somewhere in the high eight figures for the salary of an international superstar. 

If he were to come to MLS, it would likely be in a big market like Miami, New York or Los Angeles, all of which can be viewed as destination cities for European exports.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Marco Alpozzi/Associated Press

The same financial concerns we laid out with Messi apply to Cristiano Ronaldo, as well.

The global superstar currently at Juventus would require a significant drop in wages, and his likely list of destinations would be narrowed to a few clubs in major markets.

At 35, Ronaldo may have another year or two left in his legs to play at the elite European level, and Juve's chase of a first UEFA Champions League crown since 1996 will be motivation for him to stick with the Italian club.

A potential MLS move for Ronaldo would not help the "retirement league" stigma still partially attached to the league, but any move at any time for the Portuguese star would be a no-brainer.

Antoine Griezmann

Joan Monfort/Associated Press

More wishful thinking is applied to the thought of Antoine Griezmann appearing in MLS in the near future.

The 29-year-old Frenchman made a move from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona in 2019, but he scored fewer than 10 La Liga goals for the first time since the 2011/12 season and did not start the team's humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

If Griezmann is not favored by Ronald Koeman's coaching staff, there is a possibility he could leave in search of more playing time with a shot at international glory on the horizon with France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Griezmann's international teammate, Blaise Matuidi, just made the jump from Serie A to MLS. The Barcelona forward has also long displayed his love for the NBA, and that could be a minute factor in swaying his decision since NBA players have become more involved in MLS ownership lately. 

With NBA stars James Harden (Houston Dynamo) and Kevin Durant (Philadelphia Union) becoming part of ownership groups in the last 18 months, Griezmann could be lured to the United States through that influence.

Convincing Griezmann to join MLS could require more effort than Hernandez and Vela because of his status on the international level with France. 

At 29, he may still want to chase European glory with Barcelona and go after another World Cup crown in 2022, but MLS should have eyes on him in the coming years in case he opts for a change of scenery.

Mario Balotelli

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At some point, MLS fans will stop longing for Mario Balotelli to join the league.

That time is not now.

The enigmatic Italian forward has bounced around throughout Europe in his career and landed at Brescia in 2019.

Balotelli's antics on and off the field have calmed since his days at Manchester City, but he is still a bit of a polarizing figure, which is something MLS does need more of.

While he may not perform at an incredibly high level like Carlos Vela, Balotelli would be a constant threat in the final third.

At this point in his career, he would be an affordable option for an MLS club, and there may be a wider variety of teams that could bring him in, although it would still make sense for a big-market club to land him.

Keylor Navas

Francois Mori/Associated Press

Keylor Navas fits in line with some of the recent transfer strategies focused on bringing the top players from CONCACAF into MLS.

It would be hard to pry the Costa Rican goalkeeper from Paris Saint-Germain at 33, but he is worth targeting in the coming years because of his ties to the region and stature at both the club and international levels. 

Since goalkeepers tend to play longer into their 30s—and sometimes into their early 40s—Navas could find a role in the United States for a few years.

If he were to land in MLS, Navas would instantly be the most talented player at a position that includes USMNT keeper Brad Guzan and Jamaican No. 1 Andre Blake.

Hector Herrera

Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

Some of the most reasonable transfer targets could be high-profile Mexican players like Hector Herrera.

In the past few years, Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela, Marco Fabian and the Dos Santos brothers have moved to the United States.

Herrera would have a similar impact as Jonathan dos Santos as a controlling force in the middle of the park.

The 30-year-old has a wealth of European experience from FC Porto and Atletico Madrid and would be an intriguing signing for a team like Los Angeles in a large Hispanic market.

Herrera would come at a high price, but it would be one that could be manageable in a similar vein as his El Tri counterparts.