(First written Jul 23 2026, X)

There are currently two players in the Aston Villa side that I feel could help bolster the MLS and US soccer as a whole. Both of these players I feel could bolster Columbus Crews current needs and would add a wealth of experience to the Club and the current players. I also believe that neither player would be out of the realms of possibility, especially if loan deals could be struck for the two players. This would bring more fans towards US soccer because people would be curious to see how these players would get on- it would strengthen relationships with an English based club that are at the top right now playing Champions League football and it would give two players who are not likely to play a big part in Villa's next season the chance to maintain fitness and showcase their talents in competitive games and maybe force that permanent move to progress their careers. The more global players that start to call the MLS home, the better it is going to be for the longevity of the sport in the US. The MLS has to capitalize on the success of the World Cup if they want to help grow the game in the country and put more eyes on the sport. The only way to try and get players who have aspirations of playing for the National team to play domestically is to improve the league and bringing in experienced players of this caliber would showcase the league as a serious and competitive league. Bringing in superstar names is a good start- now bring in the lifeblood of the sport- your average decent level pro and really bolster the quality of the game. Everybody talks of sending top US prospects to Europe but why not bring Europe to them? Here is why I feel those two players in particular fit the bill.

The first player I want to talk about is Bailey, what can I say, he has his moments of brilliance, unfortunately they are few and far between for us these days. He could literally have a game where he is the best player on the field and then go twenty games where he is the worst. Bailey is far to inconsistent and goes missing for whole games and frankly some of the time looks like he can't be bothered to put in the effort. Now I know that this does not sound to appealing to potential suitors but I promise you that if you can get him playing he is an absolute gem of a player. Bailey is when he wants to be; the complete package of what you would want in a winger, he has pace, the skills to be able to simply glide past people and an eye for a pass- he is also a decent finisher and if he is happy where he is he is a tidy player- the problem is he has not seemed happy at Villa for quite some time. He has found it difficult to cement a starting position and I think this has hurt his confidence, he does not seem like he wants to be here anymore and if rumors are to be believed he has even come out and said he wants to join Hull- the truth is, he may find it hard there to. The MLS could provide the perfect avenue for the player to rediscover himself and his passion for the game again.

The other player I find to a be a good fit though has a completely different set of circumstances to Bailey. Barkley has been a long time servant of the game but he is now getting on and starting to look as if he is beginning to slow down in the game- he is starting to look way below Premier League quality but still even at his age of 32 still has something to offer the game. Barkley if signed in some capacity by the Crew would add valuable experience to the middle of the park, he knows how to pass, he understands playing the simple ball and chance creation and the players that would be around him would be able to learn immensely from his experience- that could only be a good thing for the team. He is an ex- England international so understands what it takes to become part of an international squad and he could become a great mentor for younger American players trying to forge their own careers. I feel as though having this type of player crafting their trade in the MLS would only be a good thing for American Soccer on a whole. Barkley brings with him years of valuable experience, he is an established name and could be a marquee signing. Signing Griezman, Lewandoski and Messi is impressive, it grabs media attention but a signing like Barkley who is a much more grounded player than the three for-mentioned would show far more intent from the MLS to showcase the fact that they are more than a fancy show- they are a serious global soccer league. Signing stars is fine but you need to sign players, not just athletic powerhouses but passionate players that can integrate as part of a team unit- for soccer is a team game not an individual sport.

I know that in the grand scheme of things this is just my opinion and in the sport I am simply a small voice but in this sport every voice should have a say and these are just my thoughts. I think that MLS teams would do better looking at some regular players that fans can get behind and grow the sport that way. Everybody wants their own Messi and that dream is fine but that is not the way to build a team or a sport in a country where you demand success. Soccer is and always has been a team sport, it is not won by an individual but a collective- working together for the same common goal- to win. The way you do that is to build a great team first, these regular players are the building blocks- add stars once you achieve success and in this case that looks like cementing your league as one of the best in the World. A competitive league that people from all over want to play in- not just somewhere to grab one last payday. Sadly this is probably just a pipe dream of mine but one thing I have learned in my time in The United States is that you have to dream big and if MLS teams truly want to grow the game in this country it is these types of gambles that they should take.