ClapThe Major League Soccer season is over and, unsurprisingly, that has led to the transfer talk coming out in full force once again. Nobody knows who is going to go where at this early stage, and while it won’t be long until we find out, that isn’t going to stop the speculation from running rampant.
One of the biggest stories heading into this new MLS season will be the addition of Inter Miami. While the dust has barely settled on the Seattle Sounders’ big MLS Cup triumph, looking ahead to the future is just part of the process – regardless of how early on it may actually happen.
The big push
David Beckham, who has been well known for doing a great deal to help and aid the development of soccer in the United States, is going to be leading the charge for a Miami-based side that really does want to capture the imagination of the city, especially with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America being less than seven years away now.
This isn’t the first piece about them going after a big name and it certainly won’t be the last, and we don’t think there’s all too much wrong with that. In a league like the MLS you need to aim high, because let’s face it, things aren’t going to continue to develop and grow without the added incentive of bringing in a few superstar names.
As reported by AS and Calciomercato, the latest name in question is none other than Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic.
The veteran forward, who helped Croatia to reach the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup last year, has been surplus to requirements throughout the early stages of the new campaign. Maurizio Sarri has seemingly made it crystal clear that he isn’t planning on featuring him all too heavily in the first team, and therefore, he has already started to look elsewhere for a brand new challenge.
Taking the big shot
Whether or not that challenge comes in Europe is a different matter altogether, with Manchester United and Inter Milan making it pretty clear that they’d be willing to bring him on board. Alas, as we’ve already noted, the MLS can be appealing for players who want to have one last ride in the sunshine, especially if you’re a player like Mandzukic who still has a lot left in the tank.
It would need to be a substantial offer in order to lure him over to North America, but as has been the case with the majority of the other big stars they’ve been linked with, the key to success here could be David Beckham himself.
The man knows how to get things done and he will know what kind of pitch would attract a player of Mario’s quality. It’s not a two minute conversation that you can have over the phone, because the act of persuasion is much deeper than that, especially in a sport like this.
For now, though, his future remains uncertain.
