Major League Sooccer turned heads with the capture of global stars Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo and Didier Drogba this summer – and a new Italian media report claims that the pursuit of yet another major name fell just short.
Argentine international Ezequiel Lavezzi was the subject of a five-year, $17-million contract offer from an unnamed MLS club, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Currently at big-money French side Paris St.-Germain, the 30-year-old is being pursued by Inter Milan. La Gazzetta cites the supposed MLS offer as evidence that the versatile attacker may be open to a return to Italy, where he starred for Napoli from 2007 to 2012.
His wages would reportedly have been $3.4 million a year had he elected to cross the Atlantic, says the report, a figure in line with many of the more recent Designated Player deals across the league.
PSG reportedly paid Napoli a transfer fee of nearly $30 million to secure Lavezzi's services three years ago, and with his contract apparently running into next year, the Parisians are said to want a multi-million-dollar transfer fee from his current suitors.
A winger by trade who is also able to man forward and attacking midfield roles, Lavezzi made six appearances for Argentina at last summer's World Cup.
