Gareth Bale confirmed, this Saturday, his signing for Los Angeles FC of the Best Soccer League. The leader of the Welsh World Cup team thus joins other outstanding players incorporated into MLS from Europe.
Source: AFP
1. Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC, Welsh, 32 years old)
Finishing his contract with Real Madrid, the Welsh winger leaves Europe to continue his career at Los Angeles FC (LAFC), the current leader of the MLS with 30 points in the first 15 games.
In the Californian city, he will join other renowned names in world football, such as the Mexican Carlos Vela, leader of the franchise since 2018, or the Italian Giorgio Chiellini.
Bale will also focus on preparing for Wales’ participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which takes place from November 21 to December 18.
2. Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC, Italian, 31 years old)
At 31, the Napoli captain is leaving Italian football to play the next four seasons at Toronto FC.
The striker, who aspires to continue counting in the Azzurra team, follows in the footsteps of his compatriot Sebastian Giovinco, a great idol in Toronto for four seasons (2015-2018) and MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the league in 2015.
Insigne, who agreed to move to Toronto earlier in the year, was greeted by new fans on Friday and is expected to make his debut after the transfer window opens on July 7.
3. Giorgio Chiellini (Los Angeles FC, Italian, 37 years old)
The emblematic captain of Juventus and the Italian national team will have his first international experience by committing to LAFC until the end of the 2023 season.
The Californian team is confident that the experience of the expeditious center back will underpin a squad eager to win the first title in its history.
Chiellini will be presented on Wednesday and could make his debut on July 8 against Mexican Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández’s Galaxy in the Los Angeles derby.
4. Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo, Mexican, 32 years old)
The midfielder, one of the captains of the Mexican team, also arrives in the MLS after ending his contract with Atlético de Madrid after three seasons.
Champion of a Spanish league (2020-21), Herrera competed with the ‘Tri’ in the World Cups in Brazil-2014 and Russia-2018, as well as in the London Olympics-2012, where Mexico won the gold medal.
The Houston Dynamo, tenth in the Western Conference (18 points), hopes that Herrera’s quality and leadership will revive a squad that has not qualified for the playoffs since 2017.
5. Juan Camilo ‘Cucho’ Hernández (Columbus Crew, Colombian, 23 years old)
The Columbus Crew agreed this month to sign the Colombian striker with England’s Watford in exchange for about 10 million dollars, the seventh most expensive purchase in MLS history.
Hernández, who had previously been on loan at Spanish clubs Huesca, Mallorca and Getafe, should form one of the best attacking pairings in the league with talented Argentine midfielder Lucas Zelarayán.
