Ivory Coast star Salomon Kalou is keen on playing in the MLS

Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou has opened the door for a fresh challenge in Major League Soccer challenge following an extended spell in European football.

The 34-year-old has spent nearly 15 seasons in Europe with the likes of Chelsea, Lille and Hertha Berlin. His current contract with Berlin expires at the end of the month and he is set to become a free-agent.

Speaking recently on The Crack Podcast, Kalou said that he has always welcomed the possibility of playing in the MLS and he is looking forward to any suitable offers.

“I [would] always love to play in the MLS. That’s something I always look forward to. I have to see if there is opportunity there to play,” he told in conversation with DaMarcus Beasley and Oguchi Onyewu.

Meanwhile, the former Champions League winner revealed that he was close to joining San Jose Earthquakes two years ago, but he eventually decided to stay put with Hertha.

“I was close to go to San Jose. I talked to them, I think it was two years ago. I wanted to stay in Europe for another two years, that’s why I didn’t go then, but now I’m ready for MLS,” He added.

Kalou has been with Hertha since the 2014/15 season and over the past five years, he has bagged 53 goals and 16 assists from 173 appearances for the club across all competitions.

He has endured a tough 2019/2020 campaign where he has been restricted to only seven appearances. Since the Bundesliga restart, he has been suspended after breaking the social distancing rules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ivorian was caught greeting Hertha teammates and club employees with handshakes earlier in May and that was highly condemned by the German league. As a result, Hertha took the decision to suspend him for the remainder of the season.

The MLS will resume later next month with a 26-team tournament in Orlando and it will be interesting to see whether Kalou is under the radar of any club. He could prove a quality purchase with his vast experience of playing a higher level of competitive football.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com