Michael Ballack is close to signing with Major League Soccer

Michael Ballack and his representatives are in deep negotiations with Major League Soccer.

Michael Ballack is close to signing with Major League Soccer

Sources from both sides have confirmed that MLS Executive VP Todd Durbin initiated talks that would bring the former Germany captain and current Bayer Leverkusen midfielder to North America. A source close to the player revealed that Durbin listed five teams interested in bringing Ballack onboard, including New York, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle.

"Ballack would be interested in playing for any of those teams, and now it all comes down to who can afford him," the source said.

Despite interest from the Middle East, Asia and Europe, Ballack, 35, told the source that his intention is to play his final two years in MLS. Ballack is looking for an annual salary within the range of Thierry Henry's $5.5 million and David Beckham's $6.5 million and would prefer to play for a team that can potentially win the MLS Cup this season.