Arsenal will assess the American whilst he trains with the first team and if he impresses during his time at the club, Wenger may be inclined to sign the player on loan in the January transfer window. Shea would be available to sign on a three-month loan contract with the American football calendar in it’s off-season and it is rumoured that if Wenger doesn’t make the move, David Moyes will. Moyes knows fully the advantage MLS players can bring to his club mid-season, having signed Landon Donovan on loan in January 2010.
Landon Donovan is another MLS star that may well have a future in the Premier League, similarly, on loan, at least initially. As aforementioned, the USA’s all-time highest goalscorer with 46 goals in 138 games, has already starred in the Premier League for Everton and a move back to the Merseyside club looks like a possibility with Everton cash-strapped for transfer in the January window.
The Daily Mail have suggested that “Moyes is keen to see Landon Donovan return to Goodison Park in January,” and the acquisition of the L.A Galaxy player may assist the Scot in tempting his fellow countryman Brek Shea to the Toffees, should Arsenal choose not to move for the FC Dallas player. “It’s something we will probably try and look to to see if there’s an interest,”explained Moyes, “Donovan was popular here, and we could do with some speed and width on the right. It wouldn’t be something we’d be against, that’s for sure.” However, it would only be a loan with Moyes perhaps eluding to the lack of funds at Everton, “It’s unrealistic to sign him on a permanent deal, though.”
Tim Ream may well be the third American that could be joining the Premier League in the future and yet again it is Arsenal at the heart of the speculation. The centre-back plays for New York Redbulls and it was teammate and ex-Arsenal striker Thierry Henry that allegedly brought the name to Wenger first.
Apparently Henry, who has recently jumped to the defence of NY Redbulls’ “dirty tactics” and Wenger over criticism to Arsenal’s start, has tipped off his former boss and believes that his current team’s centre-back is good enough for his former team and as a fan of The Gunners, you’d trust Henry’s opinion, wouldn’t you?
Only January will tell how many, if any, of the three MLS players make the move across the pond. However, with Brek Shea already training at Arsenal and Donovan having enjoyed a previous flirt with the EPL, the American internationals may well have a future in the Premier League. Following the paths of Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride and most recently, Stuart Holden, would prove that the skill gap is continually closing and The Professor of football is certain that America is the “future of the game.”
Written by Jordan Florit for www.maycauseoffence.com/ For more articles visit my website or my Twitter @JordanFlorit
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The MLS will continue to produce talented young players, just like the bigger sports in the US do, because of the college systems.
It’s never going to be one of the best leagues in the world, because the best players in the world are never going to leave European football at their peak to play in America. But more and more American players will come to Europe to play, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the USA national team reached a World Cup final in the next 20 years.
On Donovan, I don’t think he wants to play in Europe on a permanent basis.
Hey David, firstly thank you for taking the time to read my article.
Secondly, the reason I was so intrigued with Brek Shea inparticular is because, unlike most of the MLS rising talent, he didn’t actually progress through the college systems at all!
At 6’3 and with bundles of pace and power, he really could be a big name if he gets a move to Europe. I think a lot of the deserved hype of the rising youth in MLS was rightly subdued due to the so far calamitous career of Freddy Adu.
He is a whole other story though, a very strange set of stories.
Thanks again for reading.
I’m amazed that with Americas population and their hunger for success and total team ethics that football hasn’t literally exploded over there. Maybe the answer lay’s with commercialism in the states. Take American football, baseball and ice hockey….they all have loads of time outs etc, great for commercials, advertising etc, etc….Americans live for it….to them its a family day out, the games last for hours.
I totally agree America has the potential to become World Champions one day but its the American public that need educating to accept soccer as a serious sport out there. Having been to the States a few times its ammazing that the ordinary man on the street out there does not have the foggiest who David Beckham is or what the World Cup is….thats what stands in the way of future success for America as a serious football nation!