Rumor: 2022-23 Offseason MLS Season Transfer News and Rumours

Official now:

⚫️ 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐮𝐬𝐳 𝐊𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐑𝐞𝐝 🔴

📰 D.C. United sign midfielder @Cli5hy from Leeds United.#DCU || #VamosUnited

— D.C. United (@dcunited) January 12, 2023

 

Or they just make the assumption that since he is coming from a league they've heard of that he must be better than anyone else. I mean, I'm watching the exact opposite happen online with Gideon Zelalem possibly joining Boavista and Benji Michel joining Arouca. The assumption is that they will never play or be bad because it is the Portuguese league. Of course, the only thing any of them know about that league are the top 3 or 4 teams (since it is debatable that some of them know who Braga is, it may just be 3).

Boavista's starting central midfielders are a 29 year old Colombian that saw the field once for Pachuca when he was on loan there and whose only success outside Boavista in the last 5 years was in the Ecuadorian league and a guy from Braga's B team that only saw some success in the Bulgarian top flight. The rest are players that I don't think have done anything of note in their career. Of course, none of them realize that Boavista's record sale happened this offseason when they sold Alberth Elis for 6 million. Their record departure is a former MLS player. So, yeah, I think Zelalem can actually get playing time there and not look that out of place on that team.

Michel is going to a team whose wingers are a Brazilian from a regional division team that never played in Serie A or B, a 33 year old Portuguese player who was playing in Saudi Arabia (and had a couple years in Portugal before that after being in Bulgaria for several years), and a 27 year old Congolese player that has basically been there his whole career with an unsuccessful loan in Kazakhstan. He was competing for time last year with a Dutch player that came from starting in the Eredivisie (and got sold back and is basically starting there), a Colombian on loan from Palmerias (who I'm not sure will even stick around this year), and a 22 year old Uruguayan that was at the World Cup. Which team would be harder to break into?

 

Rapids being linked with Stade de Reims and Austrian international goalkeeper Patrick Pentz. This would, presumably, be a move for the future as current Starter William Yarbrough is under contract with a team option for next season, though he will turn 34 early in this season.

Reports out of Austria suggest that Colorado Rapids are interested in goalkeeper Patrick Pentz. The 26-year-old Austrian keeper is currently at French Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims, where he has fallen out of favor as the starter. He has 4 caps for Austria. #Rapids96 #MLS pic.twitter.com/9q8OaZKzWa

— MLS NETWORK (@mlsnetwork) January 15, 2023

 

Yarbrough underperformed xG by almost 10 last season. This feels like a challenger rather than a succession plan.

 

If the Rapids sign him that means they'll trade him to Minnesota in 2025...

 

Rumor of the day is Jhon Duran moving from Chicago to Aston Villa for something in the neighborhood of $20 million.

 

Villa have announced they've reached an agreement pending a medical (normal) and personal terms. Usually you wait until you've actually got a signed contract before making the announcement. Bogert is saying he is hearing 18 million guaranteed with 4 million in add-ons plus a sell-on fee.

 

Crew are rumored to be acquiring former MLS striker Christian Ramirez from Aberdeen.

 

#Wolves have agreed deal for Connor Ronan to join Colorado Rapids as a permanent signing. Midfielder signs a long-term contract with the #MLS side #Rapids96

— Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) January 18, 2023

 

MLS side Colorado Rapids are set to sign Andreas Maxsø from Brøndby on permanent deal, agreement reached 🇩🇰🇺🇸 #transfers

Maxsø will sign a three year deal with Colorado plus option for further year. pic.twitter.com/0PHe8Gla28

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 19, 2023

 

Given the trade history between Colorado and Minnesota, I had to look twice to make sure "Wolves" was referencing Wolverhampton Wanderers and not the Timberwolves...

 

LA Galaxy continue winger overhaul, transfer Samuel Grandsir to French second division side Le Havre AC.

Grandsir, 26, had 6g/10a in 67 appearances with the Galaxy.

Kevin Cabral already traded to Colorado, rumors persist about Douglas Costa leaving as well. pic.twitter.com/RTOVV6FfDE

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 23, 2023

 

So.... LAG fired the guy that courted these players and signed all these contracts, right?

 

More on the Connor Ronan deal:

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When you have guys like Danny Wilson and Gustavo Vallecilla in front of you, you're going to get hung out to dry a lot.

 

I'm enjoying the Messi saga right now. Last month a Miami based reporter said that Messi hadn't signed anything with PSG and that Miami was confident they were presenting a solid deal. He was, of course, told he was full of sh!t or being lied to because Fabrizio Romano said it was a done deal. Well, today a Spanish-based (I believe) reporter that is fairly well known broke that Messi is closer to leaving PSG than staying, though I think with the assumption that he is going to back to Barca. This led Fabrizio to just retweet what he said last month, that Messi was staying in Paris. Meanwhile, the US based reporter just said that he has been told reliably for the past few weeks that Miami and Messi's camp have been in contact multiple times over the past month and that there are more talks scheduled for this week. He, at least, is much morew measured in his responses right now and not making declarative statements about where he is signing.

 

Sources: Patrick Pentz to the Colorado Rapids is OFF.

After deals were agreed between all parties, a medical + signing scheduled. Pentz backed out and is instead finalizing a deal with Bayer Leverkusen now... to be backup GK.

Rapids will look at other GK targets. https://t.co/7zPFW9VLWG

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 27, 2023

 

I wonder what he'll be getting paid if he's coming over as a DP.

 

🆕 𝙆𝙀𝙀𝙋𝙀𝙍 in the City 🧤 @Dumbomoving

Welcome to NYC, @Matty_Ice49 🗽

— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) January 27, 2023

 

Freese and other keepers coming through the Union pipeline have sort of been screwed by Andre Blake never getting a move abroad. He is usually among the best 3 keepers in the league and he just turned 32. So that means he may have 5 or more years still being way too good for a kid in their early 20's to beat out. Freese, Romero, and Martino have all had to find another MLS team to move to in hope of minutes in the last few years.

Not sure he is your answer to replace Sean John though. Really not sure any of the keepers you have on the roster are for another few years. Best hope, I guess, is that one of them do a Brad Guzan at Chivas USA or Brad Stuver at Austin and suddenly just become a starting level keeper.

 

We had the same "problem" with Rimando. Quite a few starting keepers sat on the bench behind him for a decade.