Respond by using them. Not just for a transfer fee, but to continue to build the sport within the traditional sports media. The Sun in England is reporting that the fee being discussed is in the 10 Million dollar range, and that's a great start. But MLS needs more than money and short term profits. The Galaxy are supposedly wanting 20 Million US.
Sure that would give LA more Allocation dollars than any team has ever had in MLS, but is that really enough? Is bringing on a few more stars going to get MLS the coverage by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and non-MLS city daily newspapers?
Most certainly not
The key is to add a clause that would require AC Milan to be an MLS All Star Game opponent. This would generate a ton of the drama and hype that editors love. It would also bring Beckahm, Ronaldinho, Dida, Pirlo, Maldini, and Kaka to the USA for a game. Certainly they all wouldn't play, but most would even if half assed. When Chelsea visited they had Drogba, Shevchenko, Ballack, Lampard and others on the club. Not all appeared, but they lost.
And that is part of what I want. I want the top flight Italian club to suffer the humiliation of losing to the MLS players that are supposedly not good enough. This would get MLS a bit more respect, not a lot, but every bit matters. Rio Tinto is hosting 2009's All Star Game, and an opponent isn't yet announced. The stadium wouldn't be big enough to hold the fans, and maybe ABC picks up the match rather than it getting stuck on ESPN 2 or even the Classic.
Second if I'm the LA Galaxy I also want a friendly for every year that Beckham was supposed to have been in LA but is instead in Milan. That gets LA a nice signature match for its season ticket holders to make up for the fact that their star obsessed fans will be missing out on the man that drew them to the game.
Friendly clauses aren't unheard of in the Transfer Game, and MLS should use them in this case to continue to building the sport. SuperClub LA isn't going to grow the game on its own, and I think that MLS is realizing that, especially while LA loses. It will be particularly rough on Bruce Arena, for if this deal happens his allocation dollars won't be worth anything until the half-way point of the season after Buddle and Franklin have lead a faithful charge to the bottom of the table.