Yeah, with a comment that a release clause would be unusual for an MLS contract. That was me casting doubt on the report.
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-permit-issues-hold-potential-193332137.html this article mentions 3 French teams: Marseille, Lyon and Rennes
West Ham have five days to secure a work permit for USA international Aaron Long— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 3, 2019 This is Aaron Long's agent “would be a dream to play for RB Leipzig or RB Salzburg...”They don’t want him but they want someone else to pay $15,000,000 for him. Trying to silence my player today. Can’t silence me. https://t.co/hGiPR30gop— Shaun Higgins (@Shaun_Higgins_) August 3, 2019
Seems odd there's so many french teams rumored. Is there some reason that's happening? I usually think France ignores Americans.
Complete speculation time: it might be through the multiple French players RBNY has had recently: Henry, Perrinelle, Zubar, Collin, Valot, Bezecourt. ??
It’s wild that RB Leipzig and Salzburg won’t sign anyone over 24. Sounds like more of a guideline than a rule.
so, are we still completely insane for thinking mls (at times) makes it harder than it should be for players to move?
It was pretty widely known that Miazga got a gig in France because he was watched in the USMNT-France game. I was trying to figure out what the parallel was for Long.
Maybe he shouldn't have signed the new contract in March? I also don't get the bit about the work permit. An English team would have to sign him to apply for one. Something seems a bit odd.
I guess the flip side is that Red Bull, along with NYCFC, are the MLS organizations that with their parent companies have the most experience in the workings of the international transfer market.
I think that's one of the issues with RB and NYC. The $$ that those organizations already have is crazy so they can be a little selfish. The way RB is doing nothing to strengthen the team to make an MLS Cup run shows that it is just there to get good young players in the RB system before possibly being sold to Salzburg or Leipzig for nothing. If it was a smaller independent team 4-6M could do a lot in terms of the youth system and they would be more inclined to sell. With a salary cap and a fairly infinite amount of resources there's not much incentive to sell Long for less than 15M which I understand.....and hate.
He played in Italy and pretty well outside a minor mental lapse at the end which led to a goal. Also, there had to have been plenty of eyes on the Gold Cup final against Mexico. No shortage of players on quality clubs in Europe or on their radar.
Of course he signed the contract. He had a substantial time to go and wasn't even making six figures. Obviously he'd need a WP to play in England. Ideally they'd get that squared away from the outset, otherwise they'd have to delay the transfer or loan him out.
Or maybe also that the US U-20s just beat France and the USMNT tied the full French national team in their pre-world cup send-off...... recent results could be helping the French view of the american player...apparently miazga's performance in the French game had something to do with his Nantes loan....
Some background on Long and the long-awaited transfer to Europe: https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/09/04/aaron-long-usmnt-new-york-red-bulls-transfer-europe In January 2016, the Red Bulls sent 20-year-old center back Matt Miazga to Chelsea for $3.5 million. Adams, regarded by many as a future USA linchpin, made an in-house move to RB Leipzig for $3 million. That’s the same amount that West Ham United offered the Red Bulls in July for Long. It was rejected. An unidentified French club upped the ante to $4 million. That would tie the record for a transfer fee paid for an MLS defender. The Red Bulls weren't interested. Long acknowledged his frustration. Meanwhile, the club was caught between competing missions. Yes, the Red Bulls have a proven knack for developing players and identifying talent and, yes, participating in the transfer market should be a vital component of every MLS team’s mission. But there’s only so much pride New York fans can take in knowing their club is where careers are born but not always where they blossom. From Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley to Tim Ream, Adams and Miazga, New York is known more for transfers than for titles. The club is starved for the latter (Supporters' Shields are nice, but it’s not a championship of anything), and you can’t hang a transfer fee from the rafters. Selling a top player requires the development or acquisition of a replacement. That’s not always a given, even at Red Bull. Doing so in short order, with the playoffs approaching, represents an especially tough sell for a club with multiple constituencies. There’s the player and the market. But there’s also the fans, sponsors and community who have been through more on-field heartbreak than any others in MLS.