It’s no secret that Major League Soccer is a valuable source that sends young talented stars to play for the biggest European clubs in the world. In fact, MLS has developed a reputation for being one of the best developmental leagues in the world. Moreover, MLS appears to be following a player development model which is sustainable. They buy young talented players that have potential, train them as they win games, and later sell them. Additionally, the league is attracting some of the best players in the world.
Many American soccer fans may want to see MLS getting more players into US soccer instead of foreign clubs. However, since Major League Soccer has young promising players with great potential, many clubs want to buy them, including European clubs. Europe’s biggest clubs are on a mission to get the best MLS players into their clubs. This is also because the players undergo rigorous training in the league. For instance, Major League Soccer teams began operating academies in 2006. At the moment, every team oversees the training of hundreds of young players. Many teams have set up dedicated residency programs and training facilities that cost a whopping $3 million in operational expenses. The profits accrued are channeled back into improving the quality of the players in MLS.
In the past, Major League Soccer did not want its clubs to lose talented players to Europe and was acting as a feeder league. However, it has come to see the worth of having players who are succeeding on an international level. For example, Newcastle United used a whopping $26 million to get Atlanta United’s Miguel Almiron. This not only broke his club’s record but really boosted Major League Soccer. European clubs want to recruit MLS players because they have been trained using aggressive coaching which enables them to easily compete in international tournaments and matches. Not surprisingly, in 2021, players from Major League Soccer have been transferred to teams such as Borussia Monchengladbach, AS Roma, and FC Salzburg. Their expertise will be put into use in the heated matches to come. Football fanatics who pride themselves incorrectly predicting the winning side can place soccer free bets and stand a chance to win prizes.
Additionally, within a period of 8 months, Europe’s top leagues have gained more than 8 players from Major League Soccer. Some of the players who left MLS for Europe’s top-tier leagues include; Brenden Aaronson from NY Red Bulls to RB Salzburg and Joseph Scally from NY City FC to Borussia Monchengladbach. 20-year-old Bryan Reynolds left FC Dallas and joined AS Roma while Tanner Taseman left FC Dallas and joined Venezia FC.
Arguably, the tie between American academies and European clubs is beneficial to the US in many ways. It indicates the US will produce more international talent. When Major League Soccer provides the best players for European leagues, this helps the United States men’s national team and American soccer in the long run. The more people see young American football stars shining on TV internationally, the more American kids will be interested in playing the sport.