Carlos Puyol linked to New York move, should the Cosmos have interest?

El Mundo Deportivo are reporting that former Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol is training again, with a goal of resuming his playing career. The Spanish paper claim that the Spaniard is eyeing both New York and Qatar as potential landing spots, though they don't get into specific clubs when mentioning the largest city in the United States.

Personally, I don't see the Cosmos as a fit for Puyol at present. While defensive depth is an issue which needs resolving sooner rather than later, a starting quality centerback is far from the most pressing of needs at the club. If signed, one would imagine that Puyol would immediately step into Gio Savarese's first team, forcing one of Roversio or captain Carlos Mendes to the bench. That would be an upgrade regardless of which current starter lost their position, but at the same time, probably wouldn't be a very efficient use of the club's one remaining international roster spot.

Puyol would, however, seem to be an excellent addition to the club off the football pitch. Beyond his legacy with FC Barcelona, Puyol is renowned for his ability to work with young, developing players, something that we know was a big factor when signing Raul Gonzalez.

If Carlos Puyol does land with a club in New York, I'd imagine that club will be one of the MLS sides. Both the Red Bulls and NYCFC have money, available designated player spots, and a more natural fit for the center back than the current Cosmos do, and would seem to be the most logical destinations. It's just a shame that US Soccer limits clubs to seven international players, as the former Spanish captain would be exactly the sort of player that I could imagine the Cosmos courting without that limit in place.