The MLS stars who joined European clubs on short loans
- Lionel Messi has been linked with a shock short-term loan move to Barcelona in the MLS off-season
- The World Cup winner wouldn't be the first player to make a brief return to Europe
- Several other MLS stars have used the American off-season to keep their fitness up
Major League Soccer has long been a home for some of Europe's superstars in the twilight days of their careers.
The likes of Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Andrea Pirlo have all swapped Europe for the United States in years gone by, with Lionel Messi's recent Inter Miami move the most astonishing coup for MLS so far.
However, Messi now finds himself with a dilemma. Inter Miami have missed out on the chance of reaching the MLS play-offs after a recent defeat to FC Cincinnati, leaving the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner out of action for approximately four months as he awaits the start of the new season at the beginning of 2024.
There have been rumours linking the Argentine with a return to Europe on a short-term loan deal during the MLS off-season, with some reports even mooting a brief move to Barcelona.
While a short-term loan deal looks unlikely, there are a number of top MLS talents who have made such a move in the past.
David Beckham - LA Galaxy to AC Milan
David Beckham began the trend of MLS stars returning to more competitive European leagues during the off-season, sealing a controversial loan move to Milan at the beginning of 2009.
The official line was that the midfielder was aiming to keep fit ahead of 2010 World Cup qualifying matches with England, but there were suggestions that this was chiefly a commercial and financial move for Beckham.
Instead of returning to LA Galaxy at the beginning of their campaign, Beckham extended his loan with Milan until the end of the Serie A season, much to the fury of the MLS club's fans. In fact, supporters unfurled a banner that read: "Go home, fraud," upon his return to the United States.
At the beginning of the following season, Beckham jetted off on loan to Milan again, ruffling feathers back at LA Galaxy for a second time. However, things would only get worse as Beckham suffered a season-ending injury during his time in Italy, missing the rest of the MLS campaign and the 2010 World Cup.
Landon Donovan - LA Galaxy to Bayern Munich & Everton
If LA Galaxy fans weren't best pleased with Beckham, the same can probably be said of Landon Donovan. The American forward left the club on three different loan spells to Europe - one with Bayern Munich and two with Everton.
In 2008, Donovan travelled to Germany to train with Bayern, before being signed on a short-term loan until the beginning of the MLS campaign in March. He made just seven competitive appearances for the Bundesliga side, registering no goal contributions.
Two years later, Donovan once again made the move across the Atlantic, this time teaming up with Everton in the Premier League. He made 13 appearances for the Toffees in 2010, registering two goals and three assists while picking up Everton's January Player of the Month award.
After another two years had passed, Everton and Donovan reunited briefly once again. This loan proved similarly successful with Donovan providing six assists in nine matches before returning to LA Galaxy for good.
Thierry Henry - New York Red Bulls to Arsenal
Thierry Henry returned to the club where he forged his name during the MLS off-season in 2012, leaving New York Red Bulls for Arsenal.
The Gunners were missing several forward players at the Africa Cup of Nations, bringing Henry in as cover up top until they returned. Donning the number 12 jersey, the Frenchman managed two goals on his north London return, including the only strike of the game in a 1-0 FA Cup win over Leeds United and a stoppage-time winner against Sunderland.
Henry enjoyed seven outings in total during an emotional reunion with Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal crowd, bringing his appearance tally for the club to 377.
Robbie Keane - LA Galaxy to Aston Villa
Robbie Keane was never shy of bouncing around clubs during his career, adding Aston Villa to the teams he represented after a short loan from LA Galaxy in 2012. The Irish forward played seven times for the Villans, registering three goals in six Premier League matches.
Two of those strikes came against Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers - the club Keane began his career at - one of which was an 84th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory. Having burnt a few bridges, the striker then added another to his tally against Newcastle United in a 2-1 defeat.
Keane returned to Los Angeles and played for Galaxy for five more uninterrupted years, eventually retiring in 2018 after a short spell with Indian side ATK.
Clint Dempsey - Seattle Sounders to Fulham
Clint Dempsey is synonymous with one Premier League club: Fulham. Such was his love for the Cottagers, the American returned to London to represent them at the beginning of 2014 on loan from MLS outfit Seattle Sounders.
Having amassed 60 goals and 21 assists in 225 previous appearances for Fulham, Dempsey was unable to impress during his return to Craven Cottage, putting in performances more reminiscent of his Tottenham Hotspur form than his original spell in west London.
In seven outings, Dempsey failed to register a goal contribution, before returning to Seattle where he would end his career in 2018.
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