Plus, what player, especially a foreign based player, with options, would willingly go to Cincinnati? It's a dumpster fire of a team and organization in a second rate city. The only plus is that it's cheap.
TBF, one of the advantages for American players looking to return to MLS is that you have plenty of options. Even if a player like Johnson is a risky acquisition for the big spenders and well-run clubs (Toronto, LAFC, Seattle, Atlanta, etc.), the incompetently managed clubs and less attractive destinations then open up as possibilities. Thus, the Real Salt Lake rumor that was mentioned last page makes sense. And if MLS clubs are looking for signing that don't take up international spots, then that will probably also help Johnson.
Still no word about Fabian's future. A little disconcerting with most German teams already starting preseason training.
It doesn't matter he's not a youth player he's a soon to be 33 year old. Not like he needs ton of time to gel into a new team. New season starts in a month too. "I can't say that yet,” said the 32-year-old when asked by 'Sport1' about his future employer, “there are inquiries. However, the project has to be right for me. Just sign somewhere, if I'm not convinced, I certainly won't. " Johnson could imagine the option of the second division, but a return to the Munich Lions is also an issue for the left wing, who was under contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach for six years: “With 1860, of course, I have a lot connected emotionally. It all started there and the club still has a large following. Let's see what the future brings." seems like 2BL or 3rd Liga if not MLS.
The Tony Sanneh (sort of) of this generation -- a very good and versatile player who had an extremely hot tournament at the most important time for the US, but will end his career with one World Cup on his resume. When he was healthy and on form, I thought Fabian was one of our best players from 2012 - 2016. It's such a bummer he struggled so much with injuries after 2016 -- a healthy Fabian Johnson could have given us the push we needed to qualify for the World Cup. Could you imagine if we were starting him on the wing over Paul Arriola, or at LB over Jorge Villafaña during the Hex?
In my opinion, Fabian was a solid technical player but mentally he was a bit weak. I'll never forget asking out of a heated Mexico game, then playing club game the following weekend.
He had great moments for his club. For country, well, he seemed a bit less interesting. Far too many crosses right to the keeper, when playing wing, too.
Should we be worried that it's already August 30 and Fabian has yet to sign anywhere? Not a good sign. Bundesliga opens on Sept. 18. Even if he signs with a team, he'll have missed all of preseason. MLS transfer window open until Oct. 29, so still time for that option.
I'm pretty sure that MLS clubs can't add new players outside of the window. Transfers out of the league can happen anytime, but incoming transfers must be done within a window (and I think that's the same with every league--the transfer window of the league a player is moving to is the one that matters).
Leagues all have various roster rules, but many of them permit the registration of players outside the window if they were out of contract at the deadline.
I know MLS is an outlier league in many areas, but this one is a doozy. If a player is a free agent - not under contract with any side in a FIFA-authorized league - when a league's window closes, that player is free to sign with anyone in that league who wants him, unless a league has a rule that says "when the window closes, no more signings are possible until it reopens". A league that does that is putting itself at a disadvantage, however, in terms of signing out-of-contract talent that can move the needle in terms of ticket sales, media attention, etc. Please find the rule. IMO the reason Fabian hasn't been mentioned in terms of joining MLS is partly down to COVID fallout but mostly to his injuries: a guy with repeat back injuries isn't going to like the amount of travel involved - Vancouver versus Orlando is similar to Aberdeen versus Maccabi Haifa - and doubly so when all MLS sides have to fly coach.
MLS has an international transfer window running through an extended deadline of October 29, and typically has a roster freeze date which is about a month after the summer window closes. The league apparently hasn't made any announcement about a revised roster freeze date - as they haven't made clear if/when the remaining balance of the regular season would be played. So the short answer is that out-of-contract players can be signed by MLS after the transfer window closes, but there is still a deadline for them to be eligible to play in the 2020 season. This kind of tiered approach to squad registration (1 hard deadline, plus an additional later date to facilitate loans/callups of young talent, GK emergencies, etc) probably isn't uncommon in leagues around the world. One example is Japan where the "FIFA window" ended this past weekend, but teams can still use developmental loans, sign free agents, and register academy, high school, and college players for pro games until November. A common thing that happens there is that a pro team will announce the signing of a college junior/senior and simultaneously bring them on to participate in practice and/or play in cup matches, in parallel with their school team.
According to the official roster rules below, 9/1/20 was supposed to be the final cutoff this year (which happens to be tomorrow). @naopon already hit this point, though. I mostly just wanted to share the official language. "The 2020 Roster Freeze Date is September 1, 2020, at which time clubs must submit their final 30-man roster. Rosters cannot be changed from that date through the day after MLS Cup."
So, if the league didn't have that rule and an cut-off date that early, they might as well not have a transfer window at all for the closing stages of the season. Kind of obvious in retrospect and I should have worked it out. Thanks to you both.
I don't see why he'd want to move away from Europe, where he's lived all his life. He should be able to get something in a lower division or somewhere nearby in Eastern Europe or Switzerland.
I thought i saw a quote from him saying he's not just going to sign with some random low level team just to play....he will wait if he has to for the right squad at the right level...did anyone else see that?
Was curious where he has been. Did a twitter search and sounds like some Schalke fans are clamoring for him, but nothing concrete as far as I can tell. Makes sense given they are terrible, need help, and he is cheap, but would he even want to sign onto that sinking ship? Probably not.
Put it this way, a guy who left his last club 12 months ago, is turning 34 in December and had persistent back problems over the last 3-4 seasons that he was playing is extremely unlikely to be signing with anyone. Memories last a lifetime, but so does arthritis.