MLS – and namely Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire – missed out on the potential signing of Neymar this January transfer window, with the Brazilian star terminating his contract in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal in favor of a move back to Brazil with Santos, the club he broke out with as a teenager.
The Selecao’s all-time leading scorer, Neymar had the potential to be a Messi-esque signing for the league, making a splash on and off the pitch.
However, despite the league missing out on luring the forward to North America, there should still be ambition to chase players who can make a similar impact. Losing out on his signature is surely a bummer, but there are still some superstar talents available, and some of them have even shown their desire to land stateside.
Most notably, Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has shown his willingness to end his career in MLS, while Manchester City and Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne has been heavily linked with a move to 2025 expansion side San Diego FC. Elsewhere, Tottenham forward Timo Werner has been linked with the New York Red Bulls, while U.S. international Alex Zendejas could be on the move to MLS, with Orlando City chasing him. Meanwhile, France international Alexandre Lacazette is out of contract with Lyon this summer, and a move to the U.S. could be on the cards with MLS sides monitoring his situation.
GOAL takes a look at each footballer, offering some insight into why they should be one of the league’s next big signings.