The Official Soccer Transfers / Rumors thread

[Shzm13]

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La participación de Barrera en el Mundial llamó la atención no sólo de los “Hamers” y del equipo de Glasgow, pues en días pasados también se mencionó a equipos como el Everton, Lazio, Españyol, West Bromwich, Valencia y Juventus como el destino del futbolista.

Juventus joins the race for Barrera!

 

[Zeno]

More Jozy stuff...

Spanish side Villarreal currently have all options open with regards to the future of US striker Jozy Altidore, MLSsoccer.com has learned.

Plenty of European clubs are waiting to see if the La Liga outfit will decide to part company with the 20-year-old, either temporarily or permanently.

"There is nothing definite," a Villarreal spokesperson told MLSsoccer.com. "It is not yet known whether he's staying, whether he will be loaned out or whether he will be sold."

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/villarreal-weighing-all-options-altidore

 

[Zeno]

Bronstein to Atlante in Mexico?

Bornstein returns with more than just memories. His name has been linked to playing in the Mexican League for Atlante.

"Everything with the Atlante thing I was reading, it probably was at the same time you guys were reading," Bornstein said. "I was like `What?' I haven't talked to anyone, so I don't know what they're talking about.

"As of right now I'm extremely focused on this season with Chivas. My contract is up in six months and I'm getting ideas about what I want to do with my future, which is pretty big for me. Mexico has been an option for me.

"Europe is an option I've always kept open. I've never wanted to close any doors on myself but as of right now, everything is with Chivas."

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_15427021

 

[Stout]

I hope Bornstein doesn't go to Mexico. That isn't really a very good league for developing talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I'm not saying the MLS is but, if he wants to go somewhere, I hope it's to Europe.

 

[Shzm13]

Mexican league >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MLS

Just saying. If he wants to develop into a solid player, he needs to go to Atlas, Chivas, Pumas, Toluca. Any decent talent thats been on those teams is negotiating to be in or is already in Europe.

I doubt Bornstein would be fast-tracked through Mexico anyway.

 

[Zeno]

Mexican league >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MLS

Just saying. If he wants to develop into a solid player, he needs to go to Atlas, Chivas, Pumas, Toluca. Any decent talent thats been on those teams is negotiating to be in or is already in Europe.

I doubt Bornstein would be fast-tracked through Mexico anyway.

I agree 100%, Mexican league is better than MLS(mostly because it has been around a lot longer), in fact right now there are a lot of younger US players attached to teams down there. One US U20 was just forced to leave Chivas De G. because he chose to play for the US and they only employ Mexican nationals.

 

[Stout]

Mexican league >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MLS

Just saying. If he wants to develop into a solid player, he needs to go to Atlas, Chivas, Pumas, Toluca. Any decent talent thats been on those teams is negotiating to be in or is already in Europe.

I doubt Bornstein would be fast-tracked through Mexico anyway.

Sure, the Mexican league is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than MLS. That isn't hard to do. Sure, American players are developing in the Mexican league. Europe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mexican league. I would by far prefer our players to develop in Europe than in a CONCACAF league, because let's face it: CONCACAF just isn't that good. Oh, we've had a few runs here and there, and we advanced at the World Cup, but we aren't top-notch, and neither are our leagues. I would much, much rather send our talent out to Europe, to the right settings (maybe the Netherlands or Belgium or Denmark if the talent can't make it huge right away), than have them develop in North America.

Let's face it--North American soccer just isn't good enough.

 

[Milgod]

Sure, the Mexican league is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than MLS. That isn't hard to do. Sure, American players are developing in the Mexican league. Europe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mexican league. I would by far prefer our players to develop in Europe than in a CONCACAF league, because let's face it: CONCACAF just isn't that good. Oh, we've had a few runs here and there, and we advanced at the World Cup, but we aren't top-notch, and neither are our leagues. I would much, much rather send our talent out to Europe, to the right settings (maybe the Netherlands or Belgium or Denmark if the talent can't make it huge right away), than have them develop in North America.

Let's face it--North American soccer just isn't good enough.

MLS is certainly as good as the Scandinavian leagues. It is as good as Belgium bar one or two teams.

 

[Shzm13]

Depends which part of Europe you're speaking of. If you're not in La Liga, EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga, Netherlands, France, you're not much higher than you'd be at in the Mexican league. Particularly if you're not getting extra CL competition. Portugal, Russia, Greece have a few good teams, but are otherwise pretty shallow.

 

[Shzm13]

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West Ham were in competition with Everton and Espanyol for Barrera, 23, but won the race after offering £4 million for the Mexico winger.

"We have just finished the negotiations for the transfer of Pablo Barrera to West Ham," Mahbub told Mediotiempo. "We and the player are satisfied with the arrangement that we have made with West Ham.

"Barrera will be signing a four-year contract and then in two or three years he will be transferred to another team. We reached a satisfactory agreement for both parties and I want to make it clear that there was no agent involved in the negotiations."

Barreras a Hammer

 

[Shzm13]

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One newspaper has gone as far as to report that Juarez will sign a three-year deal after completing a medical which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. That medical is likely to take place in America where Celtic will be on tour. Celtic are also reported to have paid £2.5 million for the player.

Pablo Carrillo, a Mexican journalist with over 30 years experience, announced on Twitter that Celtic had agreed a deal to take the player to the SPL.

link


Meh, not sure Scottish league is much of an upgrade over Mexican league, but good for him to get some European exposure, thats for sure.

 

[Chaplin]

Henry was officially signed by the Red Bulls today.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/ne...r-thierry-henry-signs-deal-new-york-red-bulls

 

[Gaddabout]

I'm really torn. It's hard to decide whether these guys should stay home and raise the level of play in MLS so others can develop or we should go for the short-term and get these older guys some better seasoning for one more run. Donovan and Howard are going to be in their mid-30s for the next World Cup.

I think I'd rather see the younger guys stay home and continue to push the other young guys to get better. America needs to develop their own style, anyway. If we send all our best to Europe we'll end up just like them. I don't think that's any great competitive advantage. I think if we focused on developing our own style we will be better off in eight years.

Who's for adopting an aggressive, attacking style of soccer for our game? I see a guy like DaMarcus Beasley and think he's the type of athlete we think of in terms of American sports. I'd love to see more players like him start taking American soccer in a definitive direction.

 

[cardfaninfl]

•Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs is considering ending his career in Major League Soccer in the United States, with the 36-year-old likely to retire from playing in the Premier League once his contract runs out at Old Trafford at the end of the season.


Now Bob Bradley linked to Fulham job

Fulham have yet to hold formal discussions with any of the three managers that the media have reported as The Cottagers shortlist - and USA boss Bob Bradley is now said to have joined the running.

Bradley has emerged as the front-runner after Hodgson's move to the Liverpool hotseat.

Bradley earns £330,000 a year as US coach and has just five months of his current contract to run.

And his calm, methodical approach has impressed Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed, who is now ready to triple Bradley's wages to £1m-a-year.

 

[Zeno]

I hadn't heard that Gigg's rumor. He still has game left but not sure he is a 90 minute player anymore. I wonder what franchise would suit him best--maybe New England?

The Bradley thing is a few days old from The Mirror, not sure how legit their sources are. The latest is that SGE is the frontrunner now.

 

[Stout]

I'm really torn. It's hard to decide whether these guys should stay home and raise the level of play in MLS so others can develop or we should go for the short-term and get these older guys some better seasoning for one more run. Donovan and Howard are going to be in their mid-30s for the next World Cup.

I think I'd rather see the younger guys stay home and continue to push the other young guys to get better. America needs to develop their own style, anyway. If we send all our best to Europe we'll end up just like them. I don't think that's any great competitive advantage. I think if we focused on developing our own style we will be better off in eight years.

Who's for adopting an aggressive, attacking style of soccer for our game? I see a guy like DaMarcus Beasley and think he's the type of athlete we think of in terms of American sports. I'd love to see more players like him start taking American soccer in a definitive direction.

I disagree completely. We need to get our youngsters playing abroad, we need a solid foreign coach who can act as a teacher (Klinsmann), and we need a foreign staff to completely re-build our developmental system. The American team-first mentality is great and all, and is good for a lot of soccer, but it kills most chances of developing a true scoring striker. A world-class striker has to have the drive to take it on and score on his own, and that is simply bred out of American athletes in favor of a team-first approach.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm really torn. It's hard to decide whether these guys should stay home and raise the level of play in MLS so others can develop or we should go for the short-term and get these older guys some better seasoning for one more run. Donovan and Howard are going to be in their mid-30s for the next World Cup.

I think I'd rather see the younger guys stay home and continue to push the other young guys to get better. America needs to develop their own style, anyway. If we send all our best to Europe we'll end up just like them. I don't think that's any great competitive advantage. I think if we focused on developing our own style we will be better off in eight years.

Who's for adopting an aggressive, attacking style of soccer for our game? I see a guy like DaMarcus Beasley and think he's the type of athlete we think of in terms of American sports. I'd love to see more players like him start taking American soccer in a definitive direction.

First and foremost, besides all the stuff that Stout mentioned, we need to figure out how to develop a passing game. That has always, IMO, been the worst part of American soccer--passing. Michael Bradley appears to be a step in the right direction, but none of our other midfielders pass particularly well. We need to watch Spain and learn how to keep possession and use open spaces for runs. We just can't do that on a consistent basis, if at all.

 

[Gaddabout]

First and foremost, besides all the stuff that Stout mentioned, we need to figure out how to develop a passing game. That has always, IMO, been the worst part of American soccer--passing. Michael Bradley appears to be a step in the right direction, but none of our other midfielders pass particularly well. We need to watch Spain and learn how to keep possession and use open spaces for runs. We just can't do that on a consistent basis, if at all.

It was always my contention that Bruce Arena over-managed the US team. As often as it produced surprising results, it did a lot to kill the confidence of young playmakers and they relied WAY TOO MUCH on the long lob pass. Probably more true in the 90s than into the 2000s, but I just always hated that kind of conservative play. It's such a low-percentage attack and puts all the pressure on the midfielders to run the width and depth of the field.

I'm probably overstating the impact on development of US soccer, but it didn't have us on a trajectory to produce playmakers.

 

[Gaddabout]

I disagree completely. We need to get our youngsters playing abroad, we need a solid foreign coach who can act as a teacher (Klinsmann), and we need a foreign staff to completely re-build our developmental system. The American team-first mentality is great and all, and is good for a lot of soccer, but it kills most chances of developing a true scoring striker. A world-class striker has to have the drive to take it on and score on his own, and that is simply bred out of American athletes in favor of a team-first approach.

I think the current mentality is the product of a college soccer coach running the program, not necessarily because we're keeping our guys in the States. I don't wholly disagree with you, but I do believe we're better off if we keep MOST of our talent in the states to continue to raise the bar for everyone.

I would be more in favor of importing coaches from places like FC Barcelona (this is happening right now at the youth levels ... my nephews just participated in a Barcelona week-long camp in Mesa) and focus on training at home. I just think athletes train better when they're in familiar confines and you have the opportunity to find more diamonds in the rough. The program as a whole should be better.

On the flip side, I do think a player like Adu would have been better served to have been sent to England and work his way up there, but I think the concern was possibly losing his allegiance to U.S. Soccer, so they kept him close by.

 

[Stout]

It was always my contention that Bruce Arena over-managed the US team. As often as it produced surprising results, it did a lot to kill the confidence of young playmakers and they relied WAY TOO MUCH on the long lob pass. Probably more true in the 90s than into the 2000s, but I just always hated that kind of conservative play. It's such a low-percentage attack and puts all the pressure on the midfielders to run the width and depth of the field.

I'm probably overstating the impact on development of US soccer, but it didn't have us on a trajectory to produce playmakers.

Aaaargh, you've touched on another nerve for me with the mention of this! I agree completely about the stupidity of the chuck-and-hope lob pass. We did this constantly in the WC in South Africa, to little effect other than giving away possession. Granted, when we found ourselves a bit of confidence in a particular game we did it far less, but we MUST possess the ball IN ORDER TO gain confidence, not poke and hope and lob it down the pitch. I agree with you here.

 

[Zeno]

On the flip side, I do think a player like Adu would have been better served to have been sent to England and work his way up there, but I think the concern was possibly losing his allegiance to U.S. Soccer, so they kept him close by.

Adu would get KILLED in England, he just lacks the defensive knack and size to play in that league--maybe as he got older, more mature and saavy but he is a couple of seasons off from that. Spain and The Netherlands are much better fits for him. BTW he couldn't lose his allegiance to the US, he couldn't go and play overseas until he was 18 and by that time he was cap tied--meaning he can't play for another national team if he wanted to.

I haven't given up on Freddy, he is still only 21, he just needs to get playing time and focus on improving his game.

 

[Shzm13]

Bocanegra downgrades clubs for €500,000 transfer fee

Saint-Etienne has completed the signing of US defender Carlos Bocanegra from fellow French club Stade Rennais.

Neither the length of the contract nor the transfer fee has been disclosed yet, but France Football reports that an amount in the region of €500,000 has been exchanged between the two clubs.

That sucks

 

[Shzm13]

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Premier League giants Liverpool have confirmed the capture of England international Joe Cole on a free transfer. The attacking midfielder was available on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea earlier this summer.

Nice move for struggling liverpool

 

[Chaplin]

After that single article about Ronaldhino coming to the Galaxy a few days ago, I hadn't heard anything about it until yesterday's Galaxy/United game when the national FSC announcers mentioned it and were specific about him possibly coming to the Galaxy. I was beginning to write it off as a bogus rumor.

Good get for 'Pool, but Joe Cole isn't going to provide them any miracles. Maybe he'll attract some more good talent.

 

[Shzm13]

Hope Rafa Marquez doesn't sign with Red Bull, but it looks like it's likely to happen. He's still got a lot of quality football left in him. Juve will be missing out if they dont land him.