After a lackluster season with Villarreal, it appears Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos is looking at a move to the MLS.
His representatives has reportedly initiated talks with the LA Galaxy, although spokespeople for the franchise and the MLS have so far denied any interest in the Mexican.
A move to the MLS could be the change of scenery that dos Santos needs to ignite a career that has fizzled out since a bright start at Barcelona’s La Masia academy. Playing mostly as an attacking midfielder or center forward, Dos Santos has never put together a consistent, productive season in Europe; he only had 6 goals and 7 assists in 40 appearances in 2014/15.
If the Galaxy is indeed interested in dos Santos, some believe that his acquisition would be a part of a league-wide plan to bring in two of the biggest Mexican stars in the world today: dos Santos and Javier Hernandez.
According to @TaylorTwellman, MLS owners are working on mechanism to bring Gio dos Santos and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez to the league.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2015The acquisition of those two talents would be a coup for the MLS as it tries to draw in an audience from Latino America and Mexico. Dos Santos and Hernandez are two of the most popular Mexican players, and there fans would undoubtedly enjoy watching them play against the talent level of the MLS. The two have been playing in Europe for the past 9 and 5 years, respectively. One would expect them to play well in the MLS.
The fact that the Galaxy already have three designated players could make signing either of those two prohibitively expensive, especially so in Hernandez’ case, as he is likely to be the more expensive of the two.
Things would get interesting if dos Santos ends up being willing to take a pay cut. He would then be much easier for the Galaxy to sign, and would give them a great replacement for the recently retired Landon Donovan. This could prove to be a best case scenario where the Galaxy gets the replacement it needs, and dos Santos discovers his best form as he is thrust into an immediate starting role.
The MLS is growing, and one, if not two, of Mexico’s biggest stars could end up growing with it. For more updates, stay tuned to The18.
Follow Ivan on Twitter: @yetly
