According to the Washington Post, two Premier League clubs are chasing Ryan Nelsen's signature. Strong rumour on the DC United forum is that one of them is Arsenal.
Center Half. Not sure if he's quick enough for the Premiership, but he is an EXCELLENT defender. He's speed is the only part of his game that isn't Premiership (if not world) class.
i think he will first have to go a smaller European club if he wants some game time. He wont get into the first team at the bigger teams straight away. He first needs to proove himself on the higher stage of a first division European club.
All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen has been given an extended trial at English Premier League soccer club Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn manager Mark Hughes confirmed the 27-year-old DC United central defender will train will Rovers again this week. "Ryan's only had a few days with us so far, but he's obviously keen to make an impression. We have asked him to stay for another week," Hughes said. The former Manchester United and Wales striker Hughes said he wanted to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window. "But I am not interested in simply bringing bodies in. I am only interested in people I feel could make an immediate impact." Nelsen's hopes of a contract with the northern England club could be enhanced after Blackburn crashed to a 0-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3118549a6429,00.html
Why not Arse? If Cygan can play there, who can't. Plus he's going to be relatively cheap compared to other players. I'm not saying Arsenal are paupers but they do have some financial shackles with the new stadium and all.
Nelsen offered Blackburn contract - reports All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen has been offered a permanent contract with English Premier League soccer club Blackburn Rovers, according to newspaper reports. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph reported yesterday Blackburn manager Mark Hughes would sign the former Christchurch United defender. Blackburn Rovers would "complete the free transfer signing" of Nelsen when the English transfer window opened on January 1, the newspaper reported. "(Nelsen) has made enough of an impression during a two-week trial to persuade Hughes to offer him a permanent contract," it said. Nelsen’s United States-based agent, Lyle Yorks, was quoted in radio reports today as saying details still needed to be worked out - including Nelsen’s UK work permit - before a deal was signed. Nelsen officially ends his four-year contract with the Washington club, DC United, on December 31. Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=86&ObjectID=9003514
http://www.london24.net/content/lon...=football&itemid=WeED20 Dec 2004 11:21:39:780 QPR are targeting him if the Blackburn deal falls through
i've been saying all along that he is an EPL quality defender, before this was talked about on this forum.
Last year the Burn had players from Princeton, Duke, and Brown. Not to quibble, but he's not the only player from a top institution.
He's the NZ captain so he's pretty well known in Oceania. A lot of football fans from down here have been keeping an eye on him since before DCU signed him - it was obvious from an early stage that he was going places.
but the fact is he is 27 by the time an EPL side has been serious to sign him up. That says something about, A) Himself, B) MLS, C) His Age, & D) Oceania the region.
Or that he finished 4 years of Stanford (good long term thing to do), was signed 4 years by MLS out of college and just now is a free agent. If MLS wanted to sell him 2 years ago to Europe, they could have.
no disrespect to the MLS but i don't see EPL clubs or big top league teams jumping for MLS players regardless of what nationality. it is NOW OR NEVER for him, simple