Former Barcelona prodigy and new LA Galaxy signing Riqui Puig said he believes MLS will increasingly be seen as a top destination for gifted young players across the world in the years to come.
“I think that in the near future you will see a lot of young players coming here. I think we will see less players coming to MLS to retire,” the 23-year-old Spanish midfielder told ESPN’s Herculez Gomez on Thursday’s Futbol Americas.
“This is a league that has everything to become one of the best in the world.”
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After signing a three-and-a-half-year deal with the LA Galaxy, Puig shocked many in the global game when he left Barcelona to join MLS — a league that has traditionally been viewed abroad as more of a destination for aging European stars.
During Wednesday’s introductory press conference, LA Galaxy manager Greg Vanney called Puig’s arrival “probably one of the most significant signings in the history of the league.”
“To have a young player of this quality come from the environment that he’s been in, [from] the club that he was at…is immensely humbling for us, but also it’s a huge recognition,” added Vanney.
