Florida based Orlando FC was looking to bolster its roster. It was hoping to nab Real Madrid’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. But before they could even entertain the possibility, he made it clear he wants to stay in Europe.

With rumors circulating around the possibility of Ronaldinho and Mario Balotelli joining Orlando, it isn’t surprising that this rumor was squashed before it even had legs.

It seems that Memphis Depay is the next in a long tradition of talented Dutchmen to cut their teeth in their native Holland, only to leave for bigger and better things once they have proved themselves. The PSV Eindhoven winger has impressed all year, putting together a run of form that started with him breaking out at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and likely ending with him as the top scorer in the Eredivise this year: he has 19 goals, second place has 16, and only 4 match days remain.

Great players, like Kaka and David Villa, are off to a sizzling start in their MLS careers.  Making the switch over from Europe, Kaka now plays at Orlando FC and David Villa at New York FC. Both of these teams are new to the league. As more teams are added to Major League Soccer across North America, it looks as though soccer is finally catching on.

But one has to wonder, are the additions of new teams and a few superstar European players enough to build a competitive and entertaining league?

Hugo Sanchez recently said the following: “Chicharito has the mission in Real Madrid of making all Mexicans look good. I hope they give him time to demonstrate his quality.”

The Madrid legend is right.

It’s easy to see why Manchester United are so keen to land PSV Eindhoven’s Dutch winger Memphis Depay. The 21-year-old, who made a handful of eye-catching cameo appearances for The Netherlands at last year’s World Cup, is the Eredivisie’s leading scorer with 16 goals from midfield, and notched up another 13 last season. When The18 asked its Eredivisie scout (honestly, we have one) who "the next big thing" to come out of Holland will be, Depay was the first name on the list (and our scout's a Feyenoord supporter), in no small part because of goalscoring feats such as these:

Monday's 2-1 loss to Arsenal was a bitter-sweet night for Angel di Maria. On the plus side, he produced an inch-perfect cross for Wayne Rooney to head Manchester United level. Juxtaposed against that moment of precision, 60 seconds of stupidity saw him heading for a premature rub-down.

On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much that would make Paulo Dybala stand out besides his talent. Even that is not so special. Is he the next Messi? Maybe. Could he become world-class? Of course, but that hardly makes him unique.

No, what separates Dybala is how and where he has managed to make a name for himself; against all the odds, at U.S. Citta di Palermo. If Dybala is Harry Potter, then Palermo’s owner, Maurizio Zamparini, has turned his club into #4, Privet Drive. 

"Mario Balotelli is being lined up for a shock exit from Liverpool", says The Metro, a free newspaper that your columnist had thrust into his face by over-eager vendors every weekday morning for nine years while living - surviving - in London.

We don't doubt for a moment that the wise and learned readers of The18 have long known not to trust 98% of what politicians say during a presidential campaign. And it seems that premise can be applied to La Liga, too.

You might recall that Barcelona are currently serving a transfer ban that sees them unable to sign any player until January 2016. And yet, rumor has it, this summer the Catalans will sign Paul Pogba from Juventus. Let that sink in: Paul Pogba, this summer.