Giuseppe Rossi is reluctant to relaunch his career in MLS, a source close to the player has told ESPN FC, with the former Manchester United forward determined to find a new club in Europe.
Rossi, 31, is training with the first team squad at Old Trafford after being given permission by caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to work on his fitness after being without a club since leaving Italian outfit Genoa at the end of last season.
The New Jersey-born forward, who has made 30 appearances for Italy, is reportedly a target for Tottenham Hotspur following the ankle injury sustained by Harry Kane which will rule the England captain out until the end of March.
But while Rossi is understood to have no firm offers on the table, the former Villarreal, Fiorentina and Celta Vigo striker is prepared to wait for the right opportunity to emerge in Europe before considering a move back to the United States to play in MLS.
Sources have told ESPN FC that Rossi is aware of the growing profile of MLS and the success enjoyed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic at LA Galaxy and Wayne Rooney with DC United since leaving the Premier League for the U.S. during the past year. But the American-Italian, who has endured an injury-hit career in recent years, believes MLS would not be the right choice at this stage of his career.
Rossi, 32 on Feb. 1, is confident he can still perform at the top level in Europe and is keen to put his credentials to the test in that environment once he returns to full fitness.
Solskjaer has already made it clear that Rossi will not be offered a contract at Old Trafford, with his spell back at the club purely a favour for a well-liked former player.
But with Rossi able to move as a free agent, he will not be restricted by the closure of the transfer window on Jan. 31 and can move to a new club beyond the deadline.