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The Major League Soccer will kick-off its 23rd season this weekend with Toronto FC looking to become the first team since the 2012 LA Galaxy to successfully defend the title.
The league has lost a lot of star power in the off-season, as Kaka and Andrea Pirlo have decided to retire from the game, but there are still many exciting players in the league like Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa.
There will also be plenty of new talents in the league, and here's look at five of the biggest names who have decided to make the move across the pond for the 2018 season.
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#5 Ezequiel Barco (Atlanta United)
Ezequiel Barco might not be a household name just yet, but football fans should hear plenty of him in the next 10-plus years. The Argentinan attacking midfielder, who turns 19 at the end of the month, is the MLS' new record signing. Atlanta United paid $15 million to procure him from Independiente.
Independiente won its second-ever Copa Sudamericana in 2017, with Barco leading the charge. He scored a penalty in the return leg against Brazil's Flamengo, which turned out to be the winning goal in the matchup.
The Avellaneda side has produced a lot of Argentinan footballing greats down the years with Sergio Agüero currently being the most famous one among active players. Barco will have to work hard to reach the same level, but he has all the talent in the world to be a star for a big European team in the future.
It's an interesting move from the youngster so early in his career, but he has landed at a nice spot with Atlanta being a very ambitious side that already has a number of South Americans in its ranks. They had a great debut season in the league, reaching the playoffs straight away. With Barco in the team, the chances of going even further should be much higher.
#4 Saphir Taider (Montreal Impact)
Following the departure of Didier Drogba, Montreal Impact had a disappointing season in 2017, failing to reach the playoffs. But the addition of Saphir Taider should put them back into contention.
The France-born Algerian international is a technically gifted midfielder, who's played many years in the Italian Serie A. Mostly for Bologna, but he also put in a stint at Inter Milan in 2013/14.
Taider was part of the very successful Algerian team at the 2014 World Cup, which reached the Round of 16 and lost there to eventual champs Germany only in extra time.
As a 26-year-old, Taider should still have plenty to offer and his experience of over 150 Serie A games is a massive asset for Montreal, who are managed by former Lyon boss Remi Garde.
"His European track record and his position in midfield will give him many responsibilities. I am convinced that he has all the capacities to become one of the top players in MLS," Garde said about Taider when his signing was announced.
#3 Felipe Gutierrez (Sporting Kansas City)
Felipe Gutierrez is another well known international player. He played at the 2014 World Cup and won the Copa America with Chile a year later. Sadly, injuries have stalled his rise to stardom.
Gutierrez missed the 2016 Copa America with a knee injury, which also ruined his Real Betis career. The talented midfielder signed for Betis in the summer of 2016 following many impressive years in the Netherlands for FC Twente. However, he never found his feet in Spain following his knee surgery, appearing in just 14 La Liga games over a season and a half, before he agreed to terminate his contract with the club this January.
As a 27-year-old, Gutierrez will be looking to rebuild his footballing career in MLS. He signed a three-year deal with Sporting Kansas City with an option of another added year. He'll link up with a fellow Chilean Diego Rubio, with the two hoping to form a deadly duo that can lead the club to its third MLS Cup win.
#2 Gregory van der Wiel (Toronto FC)
Toronto looks well set for a successful title defense following the signing of Gregory van der Wiel. He became the first Dutchman to play for Cagliari last season and he also recently had a spell in Turkey with Fenerbahce, but before that, van der Wiel was the first-choice right-back for a dominant PSG team for many years.
The Ajax Amsterdam youth product joined PSG a couple of years after reaching the World Cup final with the Netherlands in 2010. He was also part of the Oranje squad two years later at the Euros.
Van der Wiel has two Eredivisie titles and four Ligue 1 wins to his name, alongside 73 appearances in UEFA competitions. He's a superb signing for an already loaded Toronto side that had the best attacking and defensive record in the Eastern Conference last season.
The 30-year-old was plagued by injuries last season as he suited up for only six games. He's already played a lot of football in his career with his professional debut coming in March 2007, but if he can stay fit, Toronto should have another star in the team.
#1 Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC)
There will be one new team in the league this year, with Los Angeles FC thrown into the mix. The team will be managed by former Swansea and USMNT boss Bob Bradley and could very well repeat the success of Atlanta in its inaugural season, with Carlos Vela leading the line.
Vela seems to have been around forever, but he's still only 28 and in top form, evident by his nine La Liga goals for Real Sociedad last season. In total, Vela has scored 73 goals for Sociedad in six and a half seasons at the club.
The former Arsenal man has over 60 international games to his name for Mexico, with two CONCACAF Gold Cup wins.
Vela has been prone to injuries through the years, which haven't allowed him to reach his full potential, but he's still a very good player and a massive signing for a club like LAFC.
The nifty forward bagged a brace two weeks ago against Vancouver in one of the final pre-season games, and much like Giovinco and Villa, Vela should be a goal threat in every game. 27 is the goals record for a single season in MLS and if Vela can stay fit for the whole season, then he could get close to that.
