Bruce Arena believes that the signing of former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is a gamble

LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena believes that the signing of former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is a gamble, but one that needs to be taken by any manager. Cole is the latest English name to join a MLS outfit.

The North American league recently saw the influx of players like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in addition to other Premier League names like Didier Drogba. After having spent the last 18 months at Italian outfit Roma, Cole has decided to take the route of many top players towards the end of their careers. The MLS is fast becoming a favourite retirement spot for the top players.

MLS clubs, though, are not just keen on older stars. Each club is limited to only three designated players, who can be paid a lot of money compared to the rest of the squad, and LA Galaxy are taking advantage of this quota to improve the defence. Bruce Arena comes on the back of a very disappointing season with the club, who barely managed to finish in the play-offs. They came nowhere near enough to defending the MLS title that the club won in the 2014 season. Keen to get the club back to challenging for the honours, Galaxy have gone for the 35-year-old.

"Ashley Cole has a great history.We know that doesn't necessarily translate on the field when you come to Major League Soccer, but my interactions over the last couple of months show me he's a player that has a strong desire to play here in Los Angeles.He's very fit and has a burning desire to get back on the field and prove to people he can still play.I have a hard time believing he won't be one of the better left-backs in our league," said the LA Galaxy manager.