Italian-American forward Giuseppe Rossi officially parted ways with Celta Vigo and became a free agent last Thursday. And again, there is renewed chatter that American soccer’s prodigal son might find his way to MLS, even if a ruptured ACL makes it unlikely he’d have an impact during the 2017 campaign.
But would the Teaneck, N.J. native who once famously shunned the US national team for a chance to play for the Azzurri be a good fit for the American (and Canadian) top division? In the end, it comes down to the same questions you’d ask about any roster addition
Can he still contribute?
Like so many of life’s questions, Manchester City-supporting rock legends Oasis have the answer to this one: definitely maybe.
Even with a full recovery from surgery, Rossi will now have had reconstructions done on both knees. And he had already declined off the form that saw him string together four consecutive double-digit goal seasons in his early 20s with Villareal in La Liga.
That said, he still scored 10 goals in La Liga in about a full season’s worth of action on loan between fall 2015 and spring of 2017. There's not many other forwards in MLS who could be dropped into the same spot and do as well.
Does he even want to be here?
This is perhaps the trickiest question. Rossi has admitted in recent years that he may have erred in choosing to represent Italy over the United States. Yet after his injury, he has also said he wishes to return to European football.
Of course, there's Europe (chartered trains and all-you-can-eat paella), and then there's Europe (player-organized carpools and all-you-can-eat haggis). If Rossi finds clubs from the continent's Big Four aren’t displaying as much interest -- or offering as much cash -- as those on this side of the Atlantic, sentiments can always change.
Plus, returning to your footballing roots is so hip right now. Just ask Wayne Rooney. (Not a hair joke. Honest.)
Is it good business off the field?
Rossi is never going to have the same clout as US stalwarts like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, or world renowned superstars like Kaká or David Villa.
However, his complicated past with American soccer might make him one of the league’s most compelling villains, especially if he joined one of the hometown clubs. Imagine the ire he would bring from everyone outside the Big Apple if he came to MLS and replicated Nemanja Nikolic's season this year?
But they would also watch. Because to most of America, the only thing more fun than rooting for your team is rooting against some other really good player who you think (rightly or wrongly) is kind of a jerk and who plays for a team with the words "New York" in the name.
Is the timing right?
With his injury, it's doubtful he'd make an impact in the MLS Cup Playoffs, let alone the postseason chase in the months before.
Then again, if he was signed by a team clearly building for the long term, perhaps one that loses hopes at a 2017 playoff bid in the next two months, a good, slow build to March of 2018 might be the best thing for his rehab. And it would certainly give us something intriguing to look forward to in the miserable three weeks in December that are the MLS's slow season.
