The LA Galaxy are targeting Kaka as their replacement for David Beckham, following Beckham’s decision to leave the MLS club. Beckham played his final game for the side on Saturday, winning the MLS Cup final against the Houston Dynamos by a score of 3-1 and helping the Galaxy lift their second straight title. Beckham's contract has now expired and the player has elected to leave the club.
There had been previous speculation that Kaka would move to New York Red Bulls, however in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Tim Leiweke- the president of Anschultz Entertainment Group- and current owner of the LA Galaxy discussed the franchise’s interest in the Brazilian Ballon D’Or winner: “We’re well aware of Kaka’s interest in MLS, and we in turn have made it very clear to him that he’s aware of our interest in him. We have a great relationship with Real Madrid, and just as we worked through a player (to sign Beckham) with them six years ago, I’m absolutely convinced we could find the right deal this time too.”
The announcement of Galaxy interest in Kaka puts Frank Lampard’s rumoured move to LA in serious doubt as the club will only be able to sign one player in the “designated player” spot, which has opened up since Beckham’s departure. At 31 Kaka makes more sense as a playing option but, more importantly, he offers the club more return through commercial ventures. The Brazilian is expected to help the LA Galaxy attract a larger share of the Hispanic market, something which has eluded them thus far. Leiweke made the reasoning behind the decision clear:
"This next person has to be able to not only fit what Bruce (Arena, LA Galaxy manager) needs on the pitch, but more importantly we're an ever-changing demo in this marketplace, and we have to pay attention to that. It's critical that we do the one thing we have never been able to do yet with the Galaxy, although we've tried. There is a Hispanic Latino population base we have to go conquer, and we haven't."
"I do think we have more of a Hispanic audience than people give us credit for, because they like the style we play and that we win. But that said, we have tried at various…a few different players and I don't think we've ever found the right guy who ultimately captivates that marketplace."
"That marketplace is critical because of our Time Warner deal. We now have a Time Warner Latino channel that we are very focused on. It was a major reason that we made the deal with them. And as much as we understand the Lakers are the mothership, on the Hispanic channel the Galaxy has a chance of being an equal partner to the Lakers as to the demand, and we get that. But we'd better build a team that ultimately acknowledges the demos and how they're changing. We're going to be very careful with that [Designated Player] slot."
Kaka was the world player of the year in 2007, largely thanks to his form with Milan that saw him finish as the top scorer in the Champions League in 2006. The Brazilian has also won Serie A, La Liga, Champions League and the 2002 World Cup. However, his career and reputation have waned since leaving Milan for Madrid. A litany of injuries, including an eight month injury absence in 2010/11, and intense competition for places have meant just 71 league appearance for Real Madrid since joining in the summer of 2009.
