Arsenal Manager Likes Thought of Older Premier Players Playing In MLS

The thought of MLS being a farewell tour of sorts for older Premier League players is a good idea in the mind of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who sees the opportunity as a win for both leagues.

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Win-win scenarios don’t come around often, yet Arsenal manager Arsene Wegner sees an opportunity when it comes to having older Premier League players heading to Major League Soccer to end their careers.

Wenger brought up the option during an interview on the team’s site, one which he feels is a golden alternative compared to the pitfalls of coping to life beyond playing in the Premier League.

"“Being completely at the top finishes when you are 34 at the latest. After that, you have different leagues like the MLS and the Indian league. I encourage players to play as long as possible if they really love it.”"

Wenger’s thoughts have a lot of meaning, considering a report from XPro, a charitable group for ex-players, showed that 40 percent of Premier League players declare for bankruptcy within five years of leaving the pitch. In Wenger’s mind, being able to continue playing overseas not only keeps players from financial disaster (or worse), but also presents other non-soccer opportunities in some cases.

MLS has become stronger and will celebrate its 20th year of play next season. It has gone from having 10 teams, yet will have 20 franchises while also drawing attendance numbers that exceed both the NBA and NHL and has made a profit in recent years, thanks in part to television deals with ESPN and NBC.

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