LAFC is targeting Chicharito and Wayne Rooney, but can they land them?
Los Angeles FC won't start play in MLS until 2018, but the club is already setting its sights high to sign a global superstar.
The expansion franchise has a list of 10 international stars they are targeting, according to an ESPN report. Among those who are being pursued are England captain Wayne Rooney, Mexican star Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas. The rest of the list is not disclosed.
"We are interested in a player or players who are passionate about becoming the first LAFC legend," said LAFC executive vice-president John Thorrington. "The player our fans and organization point to in 5-10 years as a player who played a major role in growing LAFC to be the global brand we aspire to become."
Of that revealed group of names, Chicharito seems in some ways like the best candidate for a move to MLS, but also pretty unlikely right now. Chicharito had been rumored to be in talks with Orlando City back in January, but when negotiations stalled he joined Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Given that Chicharito is now playing at a high level in one of the best leagues in the world, things have changed quickly and MLS may be a stretch, at least in the near-term -- although by 2018 anything can happen.
The Mexican did drop a hint recently that he expects to live stateside someday. In expressing his disappointment in last week's election of Donald Trump, Chicharito said he hoped Friday's Mexico-USA match would cheer people up, and he added: "Obviously I am going to try to do the best for my country and for the country in which I might be living."
The other viable option here is Rooney, by virtue of the fact that he is struggling at Manchester United and needs a change of scenery badly. He's only 31, so it's not like he is at the end of his career, but moving to MLS could be an opportunity for him to play a big role at a club again and get paid on a lucrative Designated Player contract. He is under contract with United until 2019, but if Jose Mourinho doesn't want him, that shouldn't pose a problem.
Rooney has been discussed as an MLS target before, although it seems those initial reports may have been exaggerated. Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson was quoted as saying he'd be interested in signing Rooney, but he later clarified on Twitter that he was asked about Rooney and answered that Rooney would be a good fit in MLS, but the Timbers had not been trying to sign Rooney.
Whoever LAFC manages to bring in, they clearly seem to want a player who is going to be all-in and help build LAFC's global brand.
"For a player of stature, a European star let's say, we would want them to view this as the first day of the rest of their life, not as just the end of their playing career," said club owner Tom Penn.
Penn added that the club will work on bringing in stars over "the next nine months" and announce major signings next summer.
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