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Trust me, Philadelphia Union fans. You don't want Steven Gerrard.
Sure, you think you do. The allure of signing that "big name" is great in the minds (and lately, on the lips and fingertips) of many fans. But trust me, you don't want Gerrard. Let the LA Galaxy have him.
As reported by multiple credible sources, it appears as though the current Liverpool captain and central midfielder is headed to Southern California (no, not Tijuana - you're thinking of the Mix Diskerud rumors) to watch his career fade into the sunset.
Made some calls. Feel safe saying that if Steven Gerrard comes to MLS it will be to the LA Galaxy.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) January 2, 2015
Some of my friends are grumbling again about how Gerrard should come here. I disagree with them.
What would Gerrard bring to the Union that would improve the team and help them win? At 34, he's on the decline (but probably still good enough for MLS). He's got two to three good years left in him, so any club who acquires him needs to be in a position where they think they can win now. Honestly, the Union are not in that position. The club hasn't made the playoffs since 2011. As great as Gerrard is or was, he alone won't be enough to transform the club to an MLS Cup contender in a season.
The Galaxy are another story. They just won the MLS Cup for the fifth time, and adding Gerrard would most definitely help them with going for a sixth.
I also can't figure out how he would improve the Union. Sure Gerrard is probably better than any of the central midfielders the club has now, but the midfield unit the Union has is solid. The areas they need to improve upon are striker and possibly center back, neither of which Gerrard plays. Why then would you want to add him, especially at the exorbitant salary he's sure to command? Surely that money could be better spent on an area of need.
The Galaxy on the other hand have a vacancy at central midfielder. Replacing the retired Landon Donovan will be no easy feat, but someone like Gerrard would fill that hole nicely.
At this point, the Union really doesn't have a good case for getting Gerrard. And that's ok. The club should focus on bringing in the pieces they need in order to compete and let LA do what they've always done - pay for aging European talent to come in. The Union has repeatedly stated they're not going to do that, and that's completely fine. They shouldn't be distracted by these things. Let Gerrard go to LA or wherever. U do U, Union.