Pirlo: MLS must abolish salary cap to compete with China

New York City FC star Andrea Pirlo says MLS must abolish the salary cap in order to become a truly competitive league, especially with the Chinese Super League plucking high-quality talent out of Europe with big-money contracts.

The 37-year-old joined NYCFC in its inaugural 2015 season and has since become a mainstay in Patrick Vieira's midfield, having partnered with Frank Lampard, Andoni Iraola, and now, Alexander Ring and Maxi Moralez in support of David Villa up top.

Having seen firsthand the way MLS rosters are built, the Italy international has a few ideas on how the league can further grow.

"I've seen improvements, and from what I have seen in friendly games and the first two rounds of the regular season, the quality has risen a lot," Pirlo told the Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by the Guardian.

"Certainly I would get rid of the restrictions on the transfer market, though. Enough with the three exceptions to the salary cap, which is too little to convince other stars to come here. They need to develop a liberal system where you can buy and sell players without restrictions.

"Now there is even the competition from China. Especially if you want to compete with other leagues, at home and abroad, you have got to get rid of any restrictions."