Lewandowski, Suarez and five superstars who could join Messi in MLS in 2024
Tom Weber
- 28 Nov 2023 10:52 CST
- 5 min read
Every year, Major League Soccer clubs attempt to sign some of the biggest names in football.
While most US clubs can't match the financial offers of Saudi sides, the allure of living in America occasionally outweighs financial concerns, as it did for Lionel Messi when he reportedly spurned a €1 billion offer from Al-Hilal to join David Beckham's Inter Miami in the summer.
For Messi, the MLS season is already over. Miami missed the playoffs after a rotten start to the campaign and they now had several weeks to prepare for the upcoming transfer period ahead of the new campaign. Tata Martino's side are aiming to supplement their star power with, well, even more star power.
But Inter Miami aren't the only club looking to make a splash, so here are five superstars who could be heading stateside in 2024.
Luis Suarez, 36, Gremio
Liverpool and Barcelona legend Luis Suarez is still going strong at 36. After surprisingly leaving boyhood club Nacional in his native Uruguay in January 2023, he rocked up at Gremio in Brazil and has thus far notched an impressive 23 goals and 16 assists in 50 games this calendar year.
However, he will leave the Porto Alegre giants after the season concludes in December and has been heavily linked with a Messi reunion at Inter Miami. Indeed, Tata Martino admitted as much a few weeks ago, when he said that Inter have two squad plans for 2024, one with Suarez and one without.
Miami had already tried to sign him in the summer but Gremio refused and Beckham and company had no intention of meeting his absurd release clause of $70 million.
Robert Lewandowski, 35, Barcelona
Another star striker linked with a move to Major League Soccer is Robert Lewandowski. The 35-year-old has been eyed as a dream signing by MLS clubs for several seasons and 2024 could be the year he finally makes the switch, though it will depend on Barcelona's demands as he is still under contract until 2026.
The Blaugrana shelled out a whopping €45m on him last year and the cash-strapped Catalans will likely be keen to recoup a good chunk of that. Lewandowski was previously asked which area of the US he preferred. He said the West Coast and, when pressed to choose between LAFC and the LA Galaxy, picked the latter.
The Galaxy are without a star striker after announcing that Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has left the club. Is a move for Lewandowski on the cards?
Hirving Lozano, 28, PSV
From one potential Galaxy target to a very real Galaxy target, Hirving Lozano is once again being ogled by the legendary franchise despite only returning to PSV from Napoli in the summer.
PSV have stormed away at the top of the Eredivisie table and the winger's contribution has been good with five goals and two assists, so it came as something of a surprise when Fabrizio Romano announced that the Mexican star was being courted by the Galaxy again.
The LA club are keen to make a major statement in the market after yet another underwhelming season that cemented their place as a fallen giant of the North American game. They are a shadow of the teams of Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane and have been riven by off-pitch turmoil. The Galaxy need to get their next star signings right.
Mario Gotze, 31, Eintracht Frankfurt
One of the more surprising recent rumours involves one of Messi's great adversaries. Gotze famously scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final as Germany beat Messi's Argentina in Brazil - could the two face each other again but in North America this time?
It's certainly a possibility, though an unlikely one, according to BILD. Gotze is said to be open and indeed even keen to play in MLS, but not at this stage in his career.
Nevertheless, there is a reason behind the rumours: Gotze has seen his role at Frankfurt diminish in recent weeks for various reasons, including fitness and the birth of his daughter. During that time, the Eagles have generally done quite well, so they could be willing to part with the veteran.
So far, however, the midfielder has made no indication that he wants to leave, but the option could certainly be on the table. Gotze was previously linked with FC Cincinnati, who won the Supporters' Shield as the best regular season side in 2023 and will face Ohio rivals Columbus in the Eastern Conference final on December 2.
Emil Forsberg, 32, RB Leipzig
Rumoured for a couple of weeks now but still not officially confirmed: Emil Forsberg appears to be on the verge of switching the Red Bulls of Leipzig for the Red Bulls of New York (well, New Jersey).
While BILD may have jumped the gun in claiming that it is a done deal, it is true that Leipzig and NYRB are in negotiations for the Swedish attacking midfielder.
Like Gotze, the 32-year-old has seen his role diminish, but when he has been on the pitch, he has still regularly shown his class. If a deal is struck, Forsberg will be a useful asset for the Red Bulls, who also appear to be on the verge of appointing former Bundesliga coach Sandro Schwarz, the best friend of Leipzig boss Marco Rose.
