Stories out of Italy and England suggest that former world class midfielders Esteban Cambiasso and Frank Lampard could be heading to Major League Soccer this summer.
Lampard has been linked with a move to MLS for a couple of seasons now, but decided to stay at Chelsea this season in the hope that he will get a place in Roy Hodgson’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.
Out of contract at the end of this season at Chelsea, Lampard would be free to move to the LA Galaxy in July after the World Cup. According to the Daily Mail, the Galaxy have offered Lampard a multiyear contract worth £4m a year ($6.64m).
The problem with the story is that the Galaxy already have the maximum of three designated players; Omar Gonzalez, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan. In order to sign Lampard, one of those three would have to leave the Galaxy first.
As for Inter Milan midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, he is also heading to MLS, at least according to River Plate President Rodolfo D’Onofrio.
Speaking to Telam in Argentina D’Onofrio said:
“I would really love to bring him back here, but when he leaves Inter he will continue to play in the United States,” River Plate President Rodolfo D’Onofrio told Telam in Argentina.
Like Lampard, Cambiasso is out of contract this summer, and would be able to join a MLS club on a Bosman in July.
The question is whether signing a 34-year-old Cambiasso and a 35-year-old Lampard is a good move for MLS?
If MLS had signed Lampard a year ago, then the answer would have been an unequivocal yes. Lampard is a box to box midfielder, and was one of the best in the world in arriving late into the box and scoring. His 17 goals in 50 games for Chelsea last season showed that he can still get up and down the pitch. But this season, Lampard is starting to show his age, scoring only 7 goals in 32 games and its a real possibility that he will not reach double digit goals for the first time in over a decade.
Scoring is such a big part of Lampards game, that without that, I am not sure what the Galaxy will be getting for $6m+ a year, especially in year two or three.
Cambiasso on the other hand might be a good fit in MLS, as he is no longer the box to box midfielder that he was in his younger days. Today Cambiasso plays in a more defensive role for Inter and be could do that for several years in MLS at a high level. The problem with that, is that defensive midfielders do not get the multi-millions that Cambiasso probably wants.
What do you think of Lampard and Cambiasso potentially coming to MLS?
