The level in MLS is always going to be related to the quality of its exports to other leagues, and with the league turning towards a selling model, it is likely that Almiron, Adams, and Davies are just the top of the iceberg. So maybe we can have a thread to discuss how these players (and coaches) are doing in their post-MLS careers and that might inform the discussion about what we see in MLS every weekend. Just off the top of my head, Fabian Castillo who struggled in Turkey has returned to play for Xolos and his former coach Oscar Pareja in Liga MX. Adams has stepped into the RB Leipzig starting group and shown well as a defensive midfielder. Almiron started today for Newcastle and created 6 chances (the most of any player in a single game in the premier league this season so far).
https://www.skysports.com/football/newcastle-vs-huddsfld/391025 says: "Man of the match - Miguel Almiron The birth of a new Tyneside hero? Yes the opposition were somewhat substandard, but on debut, in front of 52,000 expectant Geordies, Almiron put in a fine display, and did everything but score. He created six chances for his team-mates throughout the match, two more than anyone else at St James', and worked tirelessly to keep Newcastle in the hunt for more goals." https://www.skysports.com/football/...n-full-debut-as-newcastle-continue-resurgence is titled "Miguel Almiron impresses on full debut as Newcastle continue resurgence." On Newcastle's first goal, DeAndre Yedlin would have gotten a secondary assist if the Premier League gave them.
Davies scored his first goal for Bayern Munich in a 6-0 rout of Mainz. Came on as a sub in the 59th minute and scored Bayern's sixth goal in the 70th. Youngest Bayern scorer in 20 years. https://streamja.com/gQMW
Not just Bayern, but youngest Bundesliga scorer in 20 years according to what I saw. Also, Bayern brought him in as a LB, then moved him up to winger after he scored.. Hopefully LB isn't what Bayern has planned for him.. It would be a waste, IMHO.
Was there anyone offering to sign Donovan for more than 10M+? The difference in market for the two players shows to some degree how far the league has come in terms of global reputation.
Not sure it is the league as much as its a reflection of how crazy the transfer market has gotten in the last decade.
I remember when Clint Dempsey was playing out the string with the Revs, looking to move overseas. He might have been making like $150k, and he said he wanted to move and he'd get a lot more in the long run than if he did what Twellman and Shalrie Joseph did, agreeing to more years in return for a better salary, like $350-$400k each. He said he wouldn't even stay in MLS for "Landon Donovan money" which was about $900,000 a year. Shows how far we've come in a bit over 10 years...
There's also Stu Holden: he played out his contract on MLS senior roster minimum salary ($28k in his last season in the league), turning down contract extension offers in the $350k-400k range so that he could go to England on a free.