Is Pep Guardiola the man to replace Lionel Messi as MLS’s crown jewel?

Where do you go after Lionel Messi , Major League Soccer? ? This is not just a question MLS will ponder, but one soccer in general has been thinking about for some time. It has led to a desperate trend of labelling every promising youngster the “next Messi”, but such was (and remarkably still is ) the Argentinian’s quality, that there may not be another player at his level for decades. There may never be one. If the wider soccer world is struggling with this, what chance does MLS have? It will be almost impossible to replicate the social media hits, the record-breaking attendances across North America, the Inter Miami shirts seen around the world and the unprecedented media coverage of the league. The solution may be more obvious than it first appears, and may be better for the sport in the US than any player, even Messi. Its feasibility increased on Friday when it was officially announced that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer . If you’ve reached a peak in one area by signing the best player ever, the best next step is lateral. The league should not target a player but a manager to become MLS’s crown jewel. And who better to provide a link to Messi after his departure than his mentor. There could be an upside for Guardiola too. …