ClapOne thing that can not be denied, as if anyone would even try to do so, is that Carlos Vela is one of the best goalscorers in the history of Major League Soccer. We’ve been over and over this time and time again in recent weeks and months, and one of the primary reasons for that is because it’s almost so hard to believe.
Alas, while his time with LAFC may have been well documented, one thing that hasn’t been touched on all too much is the fact that he had a chance to join Barcelona on loan from Los Angeles Football Club – and it was a possibility that he was seriously considering, as reported by Goal and MLS Soccer.
From LA to Barcelona
“It was really close,” Vela said on BS The Podcast. “My second month for holidays, I was there with my piña colada and my agent called me to say ‘look, Barcelona is calling you. They want you to play for four months then you can go back to LA’.
“I said just say yes, I don’t care about the money or nothing. I’m going to start training tomorrow, give me two weeks to be a little bit fit.
“Barcelona, Real Madrid you can’t say no. … If it was only my choice, for sure, I’d take it.”
Carlos would go on to talk more about why the deal didn’t actually come to fruition, but the fact that Barcelona even wanted him in the first place is a huge statement as to how far he has come.
“It’s not only the things I want, football is a business and you know how it works. But, if I have everything, I want to be here for the rest of my career,” he said.
“I’m really happy here, playing in LA. I want to be here.”
The jump
It’s not exactly hard to understand the many reasons as to why he enjoys playing in Los Angeles, for a team that is quite clearly the favourites to take home the crown of the MLS Cup. While we’re still a long way away from discovering whether or not they can do so, one thing we can say for sure is that Vela will be right at the heart of everything that runs through this team.
In terms of what would’ve happened if he did decide to go to Barca on loan, nobody really knows for sure. It would’ve been a huge leap of faith but, as he said himself, it’s a move that very few people would be able to turn down with a straight face.
So instead of thinking about that side of things, let’s just reflect on what an honour it is to see a striker of this guy’s quality playing some of the best football of his career at the highest level in North American soccer.
Vela’s legacy is far from over, but this is the latest chapter in what is turning out to be one hell of a story.
