Sporting has confirmed its interest in the former Tottenham star.

Rafael van der Vaart could be the next big name to move to the MLS after Sporting Kansas City confirmed that the club wants to sign the Hamburg captain.

Van der Vaart is out of contract at the end of the 2014-15 Bundesliga season in May and Sporting KC have emerged as a possible destination for the 32-year-old, who has called Hamburg home since leaving Tottenham in 2012.

David Villa, Frank Lampard (both New York City) and Kaka (Orlando City) have made the switch to the United States and Van der Vaart could follow, with Sporting KC CEO Robb Heineman hopeful of landing the 109-cap Netherlands veteran for Kansas City in July or even earlier depending on Hamburg.

"If we can get that done, we'd like to get it done," Heineman told reporters. "He'd be a July move - maybe earlier.

"I don't know if Hamburg would let him out early. There's a lot of things to work out with him."

Van der Vaart has won trophies in nearly every country he has played in, having helped Ajax to two Eredivisie titles (2001-02, 2003-04), Real Madrid to the Supercopa de Espana (2008) and Hamburg to the UEFA Intertoto Cup (2005, 2007) and Heineman said Sporting KC has the finances to complete a deal for him.

"It isn't a money issue. It's more around some family things," Heineman added. "He's got a son in Hamburg, obviously, and he's got a father who travels to a lot of his games, and so we've got to accommodate some of those things.

"So if we can work those things out, we'll have him."

Sporting KC opens the 2015 MLS campaign against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.