Lewandowski and Griezmann could join MLS teams in the summer, claims Twellman

MLS could welcome some massive new stars this summer, Taylor Twellman has claimed, with Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann being named as potential arrivals following the Euros and Copa America.

With the US-hosted Copa America wrapping up on July 14, there will be plenty of eyes on the country's soccer scene - and Twellman thinks MLS could be in position to capitalize.

'I am as intrigued as I've ever been, because I think 2024 summer after the Euros, after Copa America, I think you're gonna see some names being talked about that a lot of people right now would think I was completely out of my mind [for saying],' the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV analyst exclusively told Mail Sport. 'And I'm not sure I will be come July 15.'

'Let's say [Robert] Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann come to Major League Soccer this summer. They're not coming to Miami. What does Atlanta do? If Atlanta transfers Thiago Almada [away] for 25 plus million, you know they're not going to sit on their hands, they're going to bring someone else in.

Twellman also went on to name the likes of the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, New York City FC, Orlando City and Charlotte FC as other clubs who could make a splash in the summer.

'You've got some real heavy hitters as owners now in this league,' Twellman continued. 'I think they're all kind of surveying the field waiting for this summer. And that's where I think that playing field could absolutely 100% be much more even than it is [now].'

While Inter Miami has managed to assemble a team of superstars with Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and the newly-arrived Luis Suarez, MLS' roster rules still make it challenging to attract high-end talent.

The league's salary cap is currently around just $5.2million per team, while each club is allowed a maximum of three designated players whose salaries can count outside of the cap.

According to The Athletic, there have already been discussions among league owners about increasing the maximum budget charge of targeted allocation money (TAM) players to $2million.

Twellman also believes financial rule changes are on the way, but doesn't expect them to happen overnight.

'I think Major League Soccer will adjust them, I really do. I think a lot of us naturally, because of what we saw this summer with Lionel Messi and [him winning] Leagues Cup... human instinct says, well, we want to do this January 1, 2024.

'But competitively speaking, you can't tell the other teams that have operated on the assumption that the roster rules for 2024 were going to be the same as 2023, then all of a sudden, you flip the script a little bit.'

He added that he didn't expect MLS to resemble the cash-rich Saudi Pro League after any rule changes, but thinks the league will enact them by the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico - at the latest.

'I know Major League Soccer will always do this calculated, and they'll be smart in how they grow. I also know and would be shocked if they don't do that before the time the World Cup comes around. Is it going to look like Saudi Arabia? No.

'But is it going to be different then what we're talking about now? Absolutely. And I quite honestly, I'll be shocked if it's not [changed by] 2025. Just because competitively speaking, now the owners are on alert, they've got Messi, they've got Busquets, they've got these eyeballs, this summer, big names are going to want to come the moment those big tournaments are over.'

The Euros end on July 14 - the same day as the Copa America - while MLS' summer transfer window runs from July 18 to August 14.

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