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Posted by
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July 23, 2015 |
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Aaron Nielsen
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@ENBSports
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The rumor mill is stronger than ever about more big DP signings coming to MLS. Vancouver and Montreal have been linked to players such as Didier Drogba, Alberto Aquilani and Kenwyne Jones, although I imagine the question for most club management and fans is: where is there another Sebastian Giovinco? Underused at Juventus, Giovinco still put up numbers in limited play. As I wrote in my article when Giovinco was signed by Toronto, he also showed he can be a dominant player even in Serie A if given the minutes and allowed to dictate the offense like he did on loan while at Parma.
Personally, players who are undervalued like Giovinco are the players who I give the greatest amount of attention to. The type of player who initially wows you either getting late season minutes for his first team or attaining exceptional statistical numbers at a smaller club or lower division. Unfortunately, in Europe scouts for larger clubs see the same as I and will encourage clubs to purchase them. However, based on circumstances or depth like Giovinco, these players do not get an opportunity to show their true potential at the larger club who either developed or purchased them. Many of these players will never reach their full potential with the big club and while smaller clubs or lower leagues would love the player, they often can’t afford the player’s newly established wage expectation.
MLS presents a different situation or opportunity based on the designated player rule than normal operations with a traditional global or European soccer club. A designated player counts for 12% of the overall salary if he is paid $436,250 a season or above. So in an extreme case an MLS club could buy/sign Lionel Messi and pay him $100 Million a year and he would still only count 12% against the team budget, where in traditional soccer or sports system you would try to manage the wage of the player to give you more room in signing other players. In terms of MLS, you could have a player at a DP minimum, although the reality is that player is not going to make the same impact on your team as player who is making or valued at several million dollars a season.
Below is a list of players who can still make an impact in Europe, although are no longer looked as players with huge upside. They would expect salaries in the millions, however, like Giovinco if given the opportunity to showcase all of their talents, would be impactful to whatever MLS club they sign with and would be showcase players to watch week in and week out in the MLS.
Emmanuel Adebayor
He is a player who I have mentioned in the past as a potential Designated Player for the MLS. We all know the baggage that comes with the Togo striker, although if Adebayor played at his best he could be one of the top players in the world. It is underestimated how technically intelligent the player is when motivated, and his goal and shot ratio per minute are some of the highest numbers in soccer. In MLS, Adebayor’s ego doesn't have to be held in check as he would likely take penalties, free kicks and participate in the play as a leader if he wished, which has caused problems for the player in the past at an English Premier League level. Adebayor would probably expect a wage that would equal the most in MLS, however, in the right environment I also believe he would be the best player in the league.
Javier Hernandez
Already mentioned in rumors of coming to MLS, Chicharito has the bizarre criticism of “all he does is score”. I would expect him to do the same in MLS and challenge for the league’s top goalscorer. Hernandez’s awareness in the box also makes him a goal provider as well and his assists per 90 minutes for a forward, equals any player in the world. MLS would also love to have him as a marketing tool based on his involvement with Mexico and not to mention playing with Manchester United and Real Madrid. This if anything, is where I see the issue of signing Hernandez. Everyone knows MLS wants him, thus making his transfer fee and salary likely in the $10 million plus range, but with that pricetag, I’d expect Chicharito to be to be one of the biggest stars in the league.
Yoann Gourcuff
Gourcuff might be one of the more frustrating players in world football. Regarded as a guaranteed star as a youngster and despite some good statistics, the player never reached his potential with many criticizing his motivation. The interesting thing is, if you look at Yoann’s statistics over the last five years, and average it out over a complete season, he averages close to 10 goals and 10 assists in France Ligue 1, a league that is known to be very defensive. Now a free agent, an MLS club could sign him in a range of four to five million dollars a season and although the signing would be risky, his skill set is a combination of taking advantage of weak defending and in many ways making his teammates better, as he is a good free kick and corner taker but also isn't afraid to shoot from many areas on the field.
Ibrahim Afellay
The Dutch attacking midfielder is in that category of player with great potential but maybe not good enough for the top, top level of the game. Ibrahim had a longer than most potential prospects career in Holland, although was a regular contributor with PSV Eindhoven, including playing 159 league games in the Eredivisie. He was sold to Barcelona in 2011 and has only seen limited time on the pitch with the club while being loaned out to Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga and Olympiakos in Greece. Now 29, it looks as if Afellay will not live up to the potential that saw him get 50 caps with the Netherlands national team, but could still make an impact in MLS. Like Giovinco, Ibrahim has an ability to run with the ball at his feet and shoot from a variety of places on the pitch, however, the question would be can he be the team leader that would be expected from an MLS DP?
Hugo Rodallega
Another free agent, and unlike most players on this list, a player who had a strong 2014-2015 season, even though he was playing in the English Championship. Hugo remained with Fulham after their relegation in 2013-2014 and was a key contributor for them in 2014-2015 scoring 10 goals and adding seven assists in 33 games. Rodellega also scored ten and nine goals for Wigan in two English Premier League seasons and was known for being one of the most active shooters in the EPL. Hugo has a history of being the offensive leader for his club, including taking free kicks and corners. He also played three seasons in Liga MX where he scored a goal every two games, so the transition of playing soccer in North America, and being from Colombia, the warmer climate shouldn't affect him negatively.
Fabio Quagliarella
A player who fits the traditional DP criteria, although despite being 32 years of age, it seems Fabio is just reaching his prime as a player. Giovinco’s former teammate at Juventus, Quagliarella suffered the same depth issues with Juventus but had a strong season last year in Torino. Fabio has been a consistent player, getting a goal every 180 minutes in Serie A since 2006. He actually made a bigger impact with Juventus in terms of statistics than Giovinco from 2010 to 2014, scoring 23 goals while mostly used as a substitute. In 2014-2015 he moved to Torino where he was an every day starter, scoring 13 goals in 34 games and had 51 shots on target. A classic center forward, although he does have the ability to score the spectacular goal, and in terms of MLS I feel he would be direct comparison to Marco Di Vaio and his success in Montreal.
Mauro Zarate
I feel it is fair to say the Zarate is a world class footballer, although not a household name. Part of the reason for this is when put in pressure situations, he either doesn't perform or given a fair amount of chances. Last year was a great example, as Mauro played in his native Argentina during the 2013-2014 season and was the Primera leading goalscorer, which led to a transfer to West Ham United. With the Hammers last season, Zarate only featured in seven games despite scoring two goals and adding an assist and was later loaned to Queens Park Rangers. Consistency has been an issue with Mauro but when on form he is an impactful player, like his nine goals and seven assist season with Lazio in 2010-2011. With his general awareness on the pitch and technical skill, it should make him very effective in MLS. Zarate’s rights are still owned by West Ham and a smart MLS GM might be able to bring him in on loan.
Matias Suarez
Sometimes referred to "The Other Suarez", Matias is a player who I've liked for a number of seasons, and to be honest, injuries has been the major reason why he isn't better known across world football. Signing with Anderlecht in 2008, Suarez has played in 150 Belgium Pro League games and has scored 45 goals, but what I also like from him is his assists numbers and how many shots he gets on target. Matias also has been an impact player even when giving limited playing minutes, and like Giovinco is undervalued, as he hasn't been a regular player in four seasons. An ongoing knee injury is still a concern for the 27 year old, so a guarantee of health would be needed for pursuing the player. However, if healthy the Argentinian could potentially score 20 goals a season in MLS.
Arouna Kone
Kone's picture could be on a Milk carton as many might ask what happened to the Cote d'Ivoire who scored 15 goals in Spain with Levante and then 11 goals during the 2012-2013 English Premier League season with Wigan Athletic. Sold to Everton, a combination of injures and not being a choice player, has seen the 31 year old play in only 17 games over the last two years. Kone has a long history in the game playing for PSV, Hannover, and Sevilla to name a few, and when played has proven to make an impact and a consistent goal scorer. Arouna could duplicate the success of fellow African Obafemi Martins scoring double digit goals a season and improving the overall offence of an MLS club.
Chris Eagles
Ever since it was accepted that Eagles wasn't going to be an everyday Manchester United player, and moved permanently to Burnley in 2008, I thought he would be an ideal player for MLS. Like Giovinco in many ways, the biggest criticism of Eagles is that he is a one dimensional player, however, the impact he has on the offensive side of the ball are some of the best numbers you see in soccer. In the English Championship, Chris would consistently score double digit goals and assist and average four to five shots a game. The fall of Bolton Wanderers has hurt Eagles reputation and now 29 most feel his career is close to being finished. If I ran an MLS club, I would of preferred signing him years earlier, although I still feel Eagles could make an impact in MLS and at a much cheaper cost than the other players on this list.
It must be said in terms of this analysis, Sebastian Giovinco stands out more than any other player, as even with Juventus in limited playing time he was still contributing assists and taking a large amount of shots. It is also probably true due to his size Giovinco was underestimated as a player just based on scouting alone, which was the reason his name was not common in rumors not only to MLS but also to other big teams across Europe. If I’m honest, I think Giovinco’s current salary is too high at seven million plus and TFC could have gone after what I would feel is a more sure return at that salary. Even so, Toronto FC should be congratulated so far for taking the risk and signing Giovinco, while Sebastian himself should also be acknowledged for taking up the challenge.
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