Doug McIntyre’s weekly MLS column, 23 Thoughts, parses through the latest insights and inside info from around American soccer.

Could Bruce Arena be headed back to the LA Galaxy? The former Galaxy head coach and general manager recently interviewed for a front office job within the organization, according multiple sources.

The exact title of the role hasn’t yet been determined — could be called GM, could be President of Soccer — but basically it’s a GM-like position to run the soccer side of things alongside team president Chris Klein. My understanding is that Arena interviewed with Klein a few weeks ago, but that others were also being considered.

As the Galaxy’s coach and GM from 2008-16, Arena led the league’s flagship club to four MLS Cup appearances and three titles. The team hasn’t made the playoffs since he left to take over the U.S. national team two years ago, missing out on the final day of the regular season in spectacular fashion this year.

1. Arena wouldn’t confirm that he had been interviewed when reached by Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. He also didn’t deny it: “I think the people that can confirm or deny that are the Galaxy, not me,” he said.

2. I called the Galaxy’s excellent VP of communications, Brendan Hannan. He wouldn’t confirm the names of anyone Klein has spoken to, as expected, but said that Klein “has had a number of conversations with a number of individuals over the last couple months.”



3. The entire organization is still reeling from its latest playoff failure, which is understandable. But the process started shortly after the club parted ways with Sigi Schmid, its second coach in as many years, in September. “Mr. Anschutz, Dan Beckerman and Chris Klein are taking a look at everything,” Hannan said, referring to owner Philip Anschutz and Anschutz Entertainment Group CEO Beckerman. Because it’s still relatively early, things are fluid. There is no timeline to make any hire.

4. Klein told Scott French of MLSSoccer.com that Dominic Kinnear, who replaced Schmid on an interim basis, would be interviewed for the permanent coaching job. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kinnear is considered for the GM-like post, too.

5. One source mentioned former Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant as another possible candidate for the GM gig. Dunivant, who played 13 MLS seasons and won four of his five league championships in LA, is currently GM of USL side Sacramento Republic. Before that, he was the director of soccer and business development for the San Fransisco Deltas, which won the NASL title as an expansion team last season before folding. Clearly Dunivant is an exec on the rise.



View photos It remains to be seen whether or not Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return to the LA Galaxy next season. (Meredith Videos) More

6. On the player personnel front, the big question is whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns. Klein is on record that the Galaxy want him back, and the Swedish forward is under contract for 2019. Zlatan does what Zlatan wants, though. My gut says he leaves. If he stays, it won’t come cheap.

7. Ibrahimovich made just $1.5 million this season, a steal before he ever kicked a ball in MLS. But few predicted he would be so dominant, especially coming off an ACL tear at age 36-37. After scoring 22 goals, he’s almost certainly going to want a steep raise to stick around. Wayne Rooney, by comparison, made almost twice as much as Zlatan did this season. Ibra averaged a goal every 97 minutes, which is insane. Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez, in the most prolific season in MLS’s 23-year history, was only slightly better, scoring every 93 minutes. Rooney averaged one every 137 minutes for D.C. United, although his impact on club obviously went far beyond the numbers. (DCU’s historic turnaround earned Wazza my vote for league MVP over Ibrahimovic and Martinez, even though Rooney arrived midseason.)

8. Not only would the Galaxy have to pay Ibrahimovic, they would probably have to move one of their three designated players to do it. Romain Alessandrini and brothers Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos are all under contract for next season, but multiple sources have told me that the Montreal Impact are interested in Alessandrini.

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