Tigres ready to pounce on Lainez with MLS move unlikely
Diego Lainez is looking for regular game time but appears unlikely to find it in MLS. Could he return to Liga MX?
Diego Lainez is having a tough time of things at present, what with Sporting Braga cutting short his unsuccessful loan spell in Portugal and his return to parent club Real Betis, where he has had few opportunities to impress. A lack of game time has started to become a real issue for the Mexican winger, who is desperately searching for a place where he can simply play some soccer.
MLS has been touted as one option for the former Club América man although his wage demands are proving to be an obstacle for clubs in the United States. Lainez would be looking to earn $2 million per year in any potential loan spell, which would likely rule out a number of franchises, as US-based journalists Tom Bogert and Andrew Wiebe have reported.
The $2m per year in salary that it'd take to acquire Mexico international Diego Lainez on loan is a hurdle for MLS teams as well from what I've heard.
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 17, 2023
Lainez would have to be a Designated Player, so any club interested needs a DP slot open + decide to invest it in him on loan. https://t.co/1xTMqq9McV pic.twitter.com/zS2SoRAaDX
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If Lainez were to move to Major League Soccer, he would have to take up one of the Designated Player spots, which most clubs have already assigned to star players. That means that one such players would have to be released to make room for the Mexican, making a prospective move to the league a rather complicated one.
A DP spot/$2M salary for Diego Lainez on loan, per @tombogert...
— Andrew Wiebe (@andrew_wiebe) January 17, 2023
Pretty tight market under those conditions tbh. Chicago might have been a player, but they have Jairo Torres + need DP No. 9. I guess the Galaxy could work as a placeholder through 2023 until sanctions drop?
Diego Lainez being lined up for return to Liga MX
Other reports have suggested Club América, Lainez’s first club, would be interested in bringing him back to Liga MX were it not for his wage demands. However, a return to Mexico could still be on the cards with Tigres, who are said to be preparing an offer; the next few hours will be key to settling the Mexican international’s future.