Is it time for Schweinsteiger to move to the MLS?

Bastian Schweinsteiger is being heavily linked with a move to the MLS

According to MLS commissioner Don Garber, former-Germany international Bastian Schweinsteiger would be a welcome addition to the league he runs.

Talking about Schweinsteiger Garber told Kicker: “Of course we follow Bastian’s situation,”

“He’s an old acquaintance in the United States, for example through the 2014 World Cup, when he played against the U.S. team. He also played against the MLS All-Stars with Bayern in 2014.

“We would welcome Bastian with open arms. He would be a leader for our many young players.”

Unlikely to play for United

Schweinsteiger is currently out-of-favour at Manchester United. The 32-year-old has struggled to make any impact at the Red Devils since his move to Manchester in 2015 from Bavarian giants Bayern Munich.

For so long Bastian Schweinsteiger was considered a key player for both Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Having started his career as a wide player or winger, more recently he has thrived in a deep-lying playmaker role. He became the brains behind the German and Bayern midfield.

However, Spanish boss Pep Guardiola believed that Schweinsteiger was on the wane in 2015. The future-City boss agreed to sell the star to United, much to the surprise of some in Germany. It seems Guardiola may have had a point about Schweinsteiger.

The German made just 18 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils last season in a stop-start campaign. This season the midfielder has not even been named in a Manchester United squad, as Jose Mourinho attempts to resurrect the once mighty club.

The writing seems on the wall for the experienced midfielder he is unlikely ever to play again for the Red Devils. The former-Bayern star has remained professional, despite being snubbed and has stated that United will be his last European club.

The football brain is still there

It seems that time has finally caught up with the 32-year-olds legs. Earlier in his career, his game was mostly based on athleticism and energy. However, more recently he has used his football intelligence to the full.

Nicknamed ‘the brain’ by Germany boss Joachim Low, there is no doubt that Schweinsteiger’s football ability is now more based on his mental attributes than his physical ones. He may well still be physically fit, but it seems the German midfielder has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League.

Guardiola obviously first seen signs of deterioration in the midfielder at Bayern. That is why the Bayern hero was offloaded. Schweinsteiger could still do a very good job in the centre of somebodies midfield. He could just sit there and keep the team ticking over nicely and dictate play, just as he did for so many years in Bavaria.

Influential in MLS

The likes of Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have all headed to the MLS. They are still important players in the US top-flight. However, that is because the standard is slightly lower than the top European leagues.

MLS fans would argue that it is not. I do believe the general consensus is that it is and older European players tend to big hits with the American fans. Schweinsteiger’s career is far from finished.

The midfielder could easily still be a big influence at another top-level European club. However, it seems he has backed himself into a corner with the ‘United being his last European club’ remark.

The LA Galaxy have been mentioned as a possible destination for the midfielder and are odds of 6/4 to be his next club. The Galaxy seems to have been one of the favourites of the European player looking to head to the MLS.

However, it seems that Dallas are also believed to be interested in signing the former-Germany captain. The MLS seems to be the German’s most likely next move.

If he does move to the MLS, I have no doubts that Bastian Schweinsteiger would be a highly influential player for whatever team he joins.

With first team football hard to come by in Manchester it may the right time for the German to head to the MLS. In the US the midfielder will have the chance to become an important player once again.

Is the time right for Schweinsteiger to head for to the US?