Interest in Brazilian Alex Teixeira from MLS was lukewarm this offseason
The market for Alex Teixeira right now appears to be quiet, at least as far as MLS.
The Brazilian youth international, last on the books of Jiangsu Suning in China, was open in recent months for a move to MLS. A source close to the situation tells FanSided’s MLS Multiplex that Teixeira had been offered this offseason through his representation to several sides in the league but that the reception so far has been a bit lukewarm.
It appears that the Brazilian, who just turned 31-years old, could be returning to the Chinese league and might even naturalize.
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On paper, the attacking midfielder could be attractive to MLS. He’s played for Vasco de Gama in Brazil as well as Shakthar, a Ukrainian side that is consistently in the Champions League. He has quality and is a creative player, the type that MLS teams often lack in terms of quality.
One prohibitive reason for the less than stellar reception from MLS clubs to the player is cost. While Teixeira is likely available for a free or a nominal transfer fee, it is believed that his contract “is near $10 million dollars” according to the source. This would make him the most-expensive contract currently in MLS.
In 41 Champions League matches spanning 2,776 minutes played for Shakhtar, Teixeira has 11 goals and four assists.
Another issue attributing to the lack of interest in the Brazilian is age. While older international players still pop up on MLS rosters, they are the exception and not the norm. MLS clubs have been trending towards younger international signings in recent years and the older players that do sign with a club tend to be higher in profile and draws in the stands.
At 31-years old, Teixeira isn’t old but his age means that there is very little chance of a sell-on for clubs to make a profit.
As of now, reports have Teixeira returning to China and signing a new contract.
Only a handful of MLS clubs would probably be interested in the player let alone the economics of the contract. Given that Teixeira is not necessarily a big draw or a full international, his wage bill would limit the clubs willing to make such an investment.