Antoine Griezmann doesn’t fit Orlando City SC on the pitch - but they still need him

The first thing that needs acknowledging is that he is a wonderful footballer who still has something to give. He is not a regular starter for los Rojiblancos anymore, yet his numbers still make for decent reading. He has 17 goal contributions in all competions despite starting just 18 matches. For Diego Simeone, he is a big-game starter, but otherwise perhaps the most effective substitute La Liga can offer.

He has shown, relatively often, that he can still hold his own against some of the best in the world. He was magical in a 5-2 battering of Tottenham in the Champions League earlier this month, leading the press and capitalizing on a relentless stream of errors from Spurs. He has also impressed against Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Frankfurt.

Moreover, he is a true leader and a club legend. His legs no longer allow him to rack up thousands of minutes, and he has retired from France duty. But he is still a key contributor for an elite club that is odds-on to win the Copa Del Rey and could yet make a run in the Champions League after easing their way to the last eight. It's hard to ask more out of him.

Yet, Griezmann breaks the mold of Designated Players who have recently moved to MLS. In recent years, teams have moved away from high-salary forwards who want to move to the States at the latter stages of their careers. These stars are now younger, more effective, and, usually, brought in from other leagues. San Diego's Anders Dreyer and Nashville SC's Sam Surridge are the poster children of that philosophy - impact players below the top echelon of European soccer, either just heading into the prime or in the middle of it.

Sure, there are some exceptions - Lionel Messi chief among them. But smart clubs tend to use their big money on individuals who are guaranteed to make the whole team better, and don't need to have their legs protected. Marco Reus, for example, has struggled to make an impact for LA Galaxy.

Son-Heung Min and Thomas Muller have found their feet, sure, but are ideal tactical fits in already top-level systems. Besides, both are elite athletes, either young or effective enough to offer an extra boost. The same goes for Timo Werner, who, in reality, needed somewhere to play football after two years on the sidelines.

In Griezmann, we have a footballer more indicative of the old days of MLS. Griezmann is more Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, or Andrea Pirlo than he is Werner. He has admitted, in the past, that he could go pretty much anywhere in the States. And even though LAFC and Inter Miami were reportedly interested in securing his signature - before being blocked by salary cap restrictions - that does not seem to have deterred him.

For Orlando, it's a curious signing. The Lions have endured a miserable start to the season. They fired longtime head coach Oscar Pareja just three games into the campaign. They lost their best player, Alex Freeman, in a high-profile move to Villarreal at the end of January. And elsewhere, there isn't a lot to get excited about. Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic are both functional designated players, but neither is a true superstar of the league. The roster around them is full of holes. In effect, there isn't the sense that Orlando are merely a player away from being excellent.

Without Griezmann, this is a lower-midtable team in the Eastern Conference that is set to face an uphill battle to make the playoffs. And what, exactly, does Griezmann add here from a footballing perspective? He will surely become a top player in MLS. Should his move be completed soon enough after the European season, he will probably be shoehorned into the All-Star Game. Ten goal contributions would be nice. But for Orlando, there are no guarantees that he makes them markedly better as a team.

And the Lions have been here before. Their recent history with DPs is one of spending big on major names - without much of a consideration as to whether they will improve as a team. Kaka was an immense acquisition when first brought on in 2015. He was the first DP in club history, and claimed that he had always wanted to play in the States. In three full seasons in MLS, Kaka never scored more than nine goals, and Orlando did not make the playoffs.

Nani arrived a year after Kaka left. Less acclaimed but, presumably, with a little more football left, he added a little bit more to the side. Orlando lost in the final of the MLS is Back tournament. They made the playoffs in his second and third seasons. He was their top scorer in 2019. But he was never a truly impactful signing in the way that other clubs used them.

In fact, Orlando were far more effective when they were shrewd with their money. Facundo Torres was the poster child. He was a smart acquisition in 2022, and led The Lions to a U.S. Open Cup win in his first season before being flipped to Palmeiras for a tidy return two years later.

Griezmann, then, feels like something of a return to the old days. Yet there is a sense that none of this really matters. DP signings are supposed to be smart, and this one breaks the conventions.

But who cares? Both parties need something out of this, and they are both going to get it. The Lions have sacked their coach and lost their best player. Their fans need something to get excited about. How about one of the best players in recent memory to check that box? Griezmann will take this thing seriously, and even if his acquisition doesn't scream "MLS Cup" this year, he will sell a few more jerseys in the immediate term.

And for Griezmann, this is an easy one. He has always wanted to live here - and with Miami, Los Angeles, and New York off the table, this felt like the next best natural fit. There is an NBA franchise in Orlando (that they're not very good doesn't really matter). Griezmann doesn't have to go that far to watch an American football game.

Orlando will probably sneak into the playoffs if Griezmann gives them a boost. Perhaps a little salary cap wizardry and energy around his signature might convince the front office to invest next year (his contract could run for up to three seasons should he pick up an option in 2028).

And most importantly, Griezmann gets the American move that was always coming.