With less than a week until the close of the Major League Soccer summer transfer window, a handful of teams in the league are in prime position to make a splash with an allocation signing. For those unfamiliar with the way the allocation ranking system works, it has to do with the way MLS treats the signing of current US national team players under contract with foreign clubs, as well as former MLS players who were transferred abroad at some point in the past and return to the league.
The Columbus Crew currently occupy the first spot in the allocation order. Over the past few weeks, speculation has abounded as to Columbus’ intentions with regard to bringing in a big name striker to address the dearth of scoring that has hampered them at various points in the season with their top allocation option. Now we have word from Crew manager Gregg Berhalter that a representative from a ‘big national team player’ has reportedly contacted the franchise in recent days regarding the possibility of that player joining the team.
Berhalter was mum on any details as to the identity of whoever got in touch. He was, however, quite adamant that the Crew are committed to using the top slot in allocation in the best way the club sees fit. Columbus could benefit most from trading the pick to another team in exchange for players & future SuperDraft picks, much like DC United did recently in acquiring central defender Kofi Opare from the LA Galaxy. In exchange, Los Angeles moved from 11th to third in the allocation order.
I suggested a few weeks ago that Columbus should give serious consideration into how much interest defender Giancarlo Gonzalez is garnering from outside the league. According to a report from HereIsTheCity.com, Sunderland of the English Premier League have been mulling a £5 million ($8.441 million) bid for Gonzalez. MLS allows proceeds from transfer fees acquired by selling players to be used as allocation money.
This is most likely the only avenue by which the Crew would be able to put together the dollar amount necessary to bring in a big name with their allocation option. It’s almost impossible to gauge the value of teams’ respective allocation funds since the league prohibits that information from being publicized.
Let’s take a look at the three most feasible options the Crew could consider in terms of making a move with this allocation spot, in order of ‘wow-factor.’ Of course, the greater this factor, the more far-fetched its possibility of being finalized.
Trading the Spot to the Chicago Fire
It has been reported in recent days that the Chicago Fire have expressed interest in Jermaine Jones, who signed with Turkish club Besiktas in January. Jones doesn’t really fill a team need for the Crew (unless Gonzalez leaves but then Columbus still needs a goal scorer), so they could look to inquire as to what the Fire are willing to offer for their top slot. That said, the Fire don’t necessarily need to go the allocation route to sign Jones, who almost openly prefers to go the designated player route instead.
Prospective Player to Watch – Harry Shipp has had an impressive first year with Chicago, scoring six goals and tied for the team’s top goalscorer. Though this would clearly be a move for the future, it could yield dividends sooner than expected. Paired with fellow rookie Adam Bedell, they would form a formidable 1-2 punch up front.
Trading the Spot to the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles have already moved up the order through trades via the aforementioned Opare deal, and supposedly have their eyes on midfielder Sacha Kljestan who plays for Belgian club RSC Anderlecht. Kljestan has been linked with a move back to MLS since May when questions about his playing time this past season began to develop. Once again, the Crew could look to get a player or two that fills their need for more potency in the attacking third in exchange for the spot.
Prospective Player to Watch – Jack McBean: a work in progress who hasn’t realized a lot of playing time with the Galaxy, the 19-year old forward would be another long-term prospect that could yield results down the road. Similar to Shipp, in time he could thrive in a potential two striker tandem with Bedell.
Forget Trading the Spot; Use It and Make a Big Splash
This is a classic easier-said-than-done proposition. Sure, there’s been interest from the previously discussed anonymous player. Two questions remain: can the Crew come up with the allocation money to pay the loan fee that this player’s soon-to-be former club will inevitably require? Secondly, who is this guy?
Is it Kljestan? Though not the most urgent team need for Columbus, he could play a role in the central midfield as a provider and an occasional goal scorer. The thing is, it could be argued that Federico Higuain already fulfills this position within the lineup.
What about Jozy Altidore? His first year with Sunderland did not go well, especially compared to the previous season he had with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. There’s been an added level of intrigue given the club’s rumored interest in the Crew’s Gonzalez. It’s pretty obvious that should the Crew be able to pull a move like this off, they would vault themselves not only into the playoff race but the MLS Cup conversation.
Another possibility might be another former New York Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo. He played most of the previous season on loan with FC Utrecht of the Dutch Eredivisie after his permanent move to Stoke City fell through due to work permit issues in England. Though Agudelo doesn’t have the name recognition as the previous two, he has a goal scorer’s touch and signing him might be possible without a transfer fee windfall from a potential Gonzalez move.
German champions Bayern Munich play the MLS All-Stars next Wednesday, and it’s certainly possible that the league might use the occasion to announce a bevy of major acquisitions. If the Crew can make the right things happen and capitalize on the interest they’ve apparently received from a member of the US men’s national team with their first-in-league allocation option, the final 13 games of the regular season will undoubtedly take on an added level of excitement.
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