Cole Bassett at Fortuna Sittard (olf Colorado Rapids)

I don’t know if I can trust this account either. With that said.... there have been some rumors here in Denver, with inside knowledge, Bundesliga teams and an English team are circling. I haven’t heard specific names. Many expect Cole to be gone by the summer.

Side note.... many comparisons to B. Aronson. Bassett was more productive. Basset had 5g and 5a in 982 mins (14 games / 12 starts) vs Aronson’s 4g and 7a in 1914 mins (23 Games / 23 starts).

 

He’s a box-to-box guy that always seems to find the ball whether that’s seeing space to run and receive passes or tracking back and making a tackle or interception. But I wouldn’t necessarily say Bassett’s a guy that you’ll see 10 yards from the back line. He’s far more forward thinking. Bassett is pretty technical on the ball is very good at that half-turn. He looks as comfortable in tight spaces and playing short combos as he does dropping a little, receiving, and hitting a pinpoint diagonal. What I like is that he is always moving forward and playing the ball forward. It’s a work in progress but he’s growing into a line breaker / pressure breaker. He’s quickly learned square balls / back passes don’t break pressure. This season, in particular, he was starting to see that a little step here and a little step there in his movement - when receiving a pass from his defenders - meant he could unbalance a line. That allowed him to quickly play the ball forward with more space to operate. Bassett is very smooth and in command. I haven’t see him get rattled too much. He definitely can be sharper and more consistent in his play but the foundation is there and he’s starting to put it all together. I think he could double his offensive output and be a 10g / 10a guy in the right system. Like I said... plenty to improve and he said it best during the recent USMNT camp......

 

My little birdie here in Denver told me the Dutch club was Feyenoord and the Portuguese club is Braga. This little birdie also told me Vines was headed to Belgium but swore up and down the club was Anderlecht. Who knows if this birdie is right or if this is an educated guess. That birdie can be hit or miss. I just thought I’d pass it along.

 

Robin Fraser and Padraig Smith (GM / Sporting Director) have made little comments here and there over the last year that they are wanting and willing to sell players abroad. They want to do right by the player but also receive fair market value for said player. I don’t get the impression they are will hold anyone hostage and demand something above and beyond what a player is worth on the open market. Vines is reportedly being sold for around $2.5M. Bassett, I would think, should fetch $3M. Reportedly the unnamed offers - I believe to be Freiburg and FC Basel (from my little Denver birdie) - were just shy of $2M. Again, that’s from my birdie who can be hit or miss. If the number is right, the Rapids will sell. They are preparing for sales evident by the trade and acquisition of Mark-Anthony Kaye (Acosta replacement for when he’s sold) and the rumored purchase of a young Palmerias LB (replacement for Vines). But the Rapids have to be smart about everything. They are sitting 4th in the East. In one fell swoop they could lose Vines, Acosta, and Bassett. It would be a huge blow to their season. But part of building a successful culture is knowing interest in your players will happen. For the first time ever, I honestly trust the decision makers with the Rapids. They have bought into developing and selling young players. There are several in the system or loaned out to Colorado Springs Switchbacks waiting in the wings.

 

SKC put a beat down

$2M was a terrible offer hence why they were rejected. $3-4M with sell-on % is more likely. As to Bassett’s form… I’ve seen a couple of people question that. I watch him every week. I’m not sure where that’s coming from. He has absolutely been vital to the Rapids rise in the last year. He is playing well and most importantly, progressing. Because there are not a lot of eyes on the Rapids, I think some look at his stats and think…. Oh Bassett’s had a “down” year. Goals and assists are down from last year. But Bassett has also been charged with filling in for Jack Price when he was out injured and has been filling the Kellyn Acosta role while Acosta was away at the GC. Those are two vastly different roles than his hybrid 8/10 positioning. Bassett has had a lot more defensive responsibilities when filling in for those two. Taking on those roles will help round out his game.

 

Well…. Stan ain’t got shit to do with the Rapids even if he’s a making a little change from sales abroad. But… his son Josh is taking more of an interest when the Nuggets and Avalanche aren’t stuck up his ass. It’s more the doing of Robin Fraser, Padraig Smith (GM), Fran Taylor (Assistant GM), and Chris Cartlidge (Academy Director) who have a pulse on developing, promoting, and eventually selling youth abroad. Stan just collects the money seemingly not knowing where it came from, i bet. That’s how clueless and uninvolved he is. There is a pretty good core of homegrown players getting significant minutes and contributing on loan to USLC’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Guys like Seb Anderson, Dantouma “Yaya” Toure, Michael Edwards (Rapids trade for his HG rights after he left Wolfsburg), Darren Yapi, and Abraham Rodriguez. Oliver Larraz has remained with the Rapids 1st team is another one. There’s some real talent coming up through their youth ranks. I have two U15 players in the last year “defect” to the Rapids Academy. They needed to go. I could only take them so far and they needed the challenge and exposure. And by exposure I mean professional exposure. I saw both play in the MLS Next Tourney and they’ve taken big leaps in 9 months.

 

I don’t know how informed Mr. Smith is but that’s the club I’ve heard and mentioned earlier as Braga. It doesn’t mean much. I know the birdie can be hit or miss. Anyways, great club. Perfect place to further develop and then move on to bigger and better things if you preform. I’m curious to what he competition would be. I just hope he doesn’t go the Keaton Parks route where he shows initial promise in a handful of games, coach is canned, finds himself with the B-team in the 2nd division after being promoted from the 1st team, before eventually landing at NYCFC. I think that’s how it went with Parks??? Bassett is older and more stablished than Parks when he was at Benfica so maybe he doesn’t fall in that same hole.