http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...misfit-david-bentley-eyes-loan-to-mls?cc=5901 How would this work? Some team would use a DP slot for the loan fee and this guy's salary for half a season?
I'm not sure how many teams would even be interested for a half-season loan, not to mention the MLS policy of including purchasing rights (though I wonder how Dawkins to SJ is structured.) If he comes, I'm willing to bet that it'd be for the full MLS season, with Tottenham paying the majority of his wages.
This was actually changed a couple years back (it was in some Q&A article that I probably won't be able to find, though I think it was around the time they changed the homegrown rule to allow unlimited signings). It doesn't look like it has been used too much though I'm willing to bet Dawkins is like that as is Juninho in LA. I would expect a team to want him for a full season if they are going to do it though so he may need to be a bit more flexible.
I suspect that David Bentley and his reps have no clue how MLS works. I doubt that any of our clubs are going to be interested in a player looking to rehab an injury with an eye toward making his triumphant return to the Spurs lineup......
I am not sure he is going to have the triumphant return. He has not played a lot for them over the past 4 years. Wikipedia puts it at 42 appearances out of around 110 games. He has almost half that amount of appearances for his loan spells in the past year. And I do not think he has played for England in some time (though I could be wrong about that) Provided he can stay healthy and regain some form Bentley is the kind of player MLS should be targeting. And if it goes well I actually believe he could be a good DP signing.
Yeah, he's definitely a headcase, but given his age if MLS could convince him to move full-time, he could be an assist machine here. Lot of Ifs in there though, admittedly.
Why? Bentley was a very good player for blackburn. He got a little full of himself when he started getting calls from england and moved into a bad situation at spurs. Plus he put together back to back double digit assist seasons at Rovers. Like many people he wanted to play at a bigger club. And unfortunately for him he got his wish. The reality was I dont think he was ready and he should have spent one more year at Rovers or gone to a team like Aston Villa or Everton. So I believe he is more than capable than being a solid contributor in MLS.
He's still actually Spurs' record transfer signing, which is pretty hilarious given how his time there has been pretty much a disaster aside from a few bright spots.
He was a great, great player at Blackburn. Nobody has any idea what he has in the tank. There is a scenario where signing him makes sense. The Gals are full up with DPs. Does Toronto have an opening? Because David Bentley would be a great guy to have on the field in the knockout rounds of the CCL. I think Toronto is full with Koevermans, Frings, and JDG. Is JDG still there? I forget...did Seattle make the knockout rounds of the CCL? He could play with them.
Never made the grade at Arsenal, excelled at Rovers, flamed out at Spurs. Who knows what he's got left. But, providing he's healthy and of solid mind, he's an EPL quality player. And, if Spurs are gonna pay his wages, why wouldn't an MLS side want him?
We did and we play Santos on March 7th. Regarding Bentley, we are stacked at right midfield already with Mauro Rosales starting and Christian Sivebæk off the bench.