MLSsoccer.com reports that D.C. United are in the final stages of talks to acquire Patrick Nyarko from the Chicago Fire. The Fire will likely receive a combination package of “considerations” ranging from draft picks to allocation money.
Nyarko, the second longest-standing member of Fire, had been rumored to be interested in a move for several months. He has come off a couple of injury-plagued seasons, but would add an element of speed to a D.C. United attack that relies heavily on counterattacking from their defensive bunker.
Despite being 30 years old, he is a proven winger in MLS and would be linking up with fellow Chicago expat Chris Rolfe with whom he is very familiar. That potential chemistry makes Nyarko an attractive and relatively inexpensive option for Ben Olsen going into the 2016 season. D.C. United struggled down the stretch in both the 2014 and 2105 seasons, fading from the head of the pack in the heat of the summer and never truly recovering their early-season form.
Nyarko played for Virginia Tech, where he helped the team to their first College Cup appearance, before being selected by Chicago in the first round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. He is responsible for 19 goals and 39 assists for the Fire in 196 regular season appearances. His greatest assets as a winger are his speed and dribbling ability, which make him a dangerous option to have in Ben Olsen’s pocket.
