Granada’s Darwin Machís Remains, But High-Profile Transfers Show MLS Has More Than Just Dollars

For so long, top European players transferring to Major League Soccer would be entering the final knockings of their careers—a gradual slowing down process before finding other roles.

That custom is slowly changing. Venezuelan international Darwin Machís, a direct, powerful winger for La Liga side Granada, will be staying in Spain after MLS side Charlotte failed to sign the South American because of a legal complication (Spanish). Nevertheless, his involvement in such discussions indicates just how far the transatlantic soccer scene has altered and will continue to do so.

MLS can now boast European stars in and around their zenith. Soon after Lorenzo Insigne signed a preliminary agreement to leave Napoli—still in the Serie A title race in Italy—for Toronto, ex-Liverpool midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri completed a move to Chicago Fire across the pond. Both players are 30 years old and follow a host of players familiar to many modern European soccer fans. These include former La Liga players Carles Gil, Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez, who represented Elche, Real Sociedad and Sevilla respectively.

MLS franchises have long had the financial muscle to draw players, with the Designed Player Rule allowing teams to splash out on recruits. The stumbling block has been luring top talents under the age of 30. Having only just turned 29, Machís would have challenged that trend. Insigne and Shaqiri, still entrusted for their national level, show that a break in tradition is coming. The question is whether U.S. soccer is offering more than an attractive salary.

When a player goes to an emerging league, namely a lucrative one outside Europe, the common perception is that money turns his head. A continental champion with Italy, Insigne would regularly feature in many clubs’ starting lineups in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, not to mention other destinations. Instead, he chose another option in Toronto, where he is guaranteed appearances after the Italian domestic season closes this summer.

There, as well as installing financial security for him and his family, he can be the winger everyone wants to see, with guaranteed on-field minutes. That final point is important because younger, vibrant players often pique interest, whereas this is not always true for those older than them. With these factors in mind, the switch becomes perfectly understandable.

If a ripple effect begins, and more follow in his footsteps, the attention will no longer solely center around England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, to name a few countries. Due to the Champions League, elite club soccer is Eurocentric, a sacred bubble, so having younger, established names in the U.S. will tilt the balance. That was supposed to happen when David Beckham linked up with LA Galaxy a decade and a half ago, but there was no sustainable legacy regarding worldwide fixation on MLS.

Should recognizable faces like Machís copy Insigne by leaving Europe, MLS will undoubtedly become more marketable and enticing for a global television audience. The same applies to China, where former English and Spanish league participants have plied their trade. Even the Middle East and Saudi Arabia—which hosted the Spanish Super Cup final—is becoming an actor, attracting Matheus Pereira, formerly of West Bromwich Albion, before the season.

Fast forward a year or two, and the shift may widen. Given the lack of playing time at Arsenal, Barcelona signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could have easily considered more far-flung options, yet decided to reignite his career with the Blaugrana. Many others would do the same, but there have also been cases where players have sought projects in the U.S. or Asia. A prime example is Atlético Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco, one of the more technically gifted wide players in Europe who, aged 24, left Atlético for Dalian Professional in the Chinese Super League.

There will be more to come, and—depending on how much the leagues such as MLS develop in stature—signings will commit to longer-term contracts, playing at the top of their game over three or four years rather than winding down with brief cameos. The transition has already begun.