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Reports: Stoke City nears Cameron deal

Cameron (Getty Images)

Geoff Cameron's time in MLS appears to be rapidly coming to a close.

According to reports, Stoke City is nearing completion on a $2.7 million transfer for the Houston Dynamo centerback, a move that could be completed as soon as this week. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the team is in full support of the move, with club president Chris Canetti going as far to say, "The club is in favor of this transfer, and we are in support of it happening. We will continue to work with the league as they go through the process and make their decision."

For Cameron, the issue of securing a United Kingdom work permit still remains, as he would not qualify automatically through the guidelines. After American players like Tim Ream, Robbie Rogers and Alejandro Bedoya were able to secure permits in the last year, though, Cameron would seem to have a favorable case, especially considering his role with the U.S. national team during the recent World Cup qualifiers.

Cameron has been held out of Houston's last two matches with a hamstring strain, with Jermaine Taylor filling his role. The Jamaican would take on an even larger role across Houston's back line with Cameron's permanent departure.

Should Cameron make the move to Stoke, he would be returning to the United States almost immediately, with the Potters playing at the Columbus Crew, Sporting Kansas City and Orlando City SC on their summer preseason tour from July 24-Aug. 1.

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What do you think of this development?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. From an article in The Guardian today:

    “Meanwhile Stoke are after the Houston Dynamos defender Geoff Cameron. “Personal terms are unlikely to be a problem with Cameron as he is on less than £3,000 a week in the States,” The Sun notes. Help Geoff. Help Geoff now by sending what you can.”

    I love their irreverent writing style (and I swear I’m not on their books).

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  2. Goal difference be damned. This is how cameron (and JK) learns just how good he really is.

    If there are weaknesses in his game, they’re more likely to be exposed by arsenal and city than by the union or galaxy.

    Great test, great move if he can make it happen.

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  3. I’m not crazy about an unheralded side like Stoke City, but they do have stability with Tony Pulis. Cameron has the athleticism and raw ability for the EPL, but don’t know if he has the positional awareness. I don’t even know if they want him as a CB.

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  4. I wasn’t a big fan of his CM play but he broke in as a RM sub for Mullan, and had the equalizer against Dallas in one of his first games in that role.

    And I’ve always had this idea he might be a good RB, since he has defensive skills, some ball skills, and long strides, but Houston has perennially used him to fill holes here and Kinnear has taken a year to come around on Taylor (or someone else) that he could use as a CB instead.

    I think he has interesting raw CB qualities, height, heading, defense, composure, but I also think he’s a little naive, dives in, gets caught ballwatching. And he’s been exposed a little this year here, and got that red for the USA. So it will be interesting whether (assuming) Cameron sharpens up or still has brain farts. Because when you say US future I’m like, maybe if he gets it together some more.

    But, in fairness, the US defense is a tad “in transition” (off form players, older players, players whose allegiance is unknown) right now so he just has to be better than the next guy.

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  5. I realize it is ALWAYS about the money, and the money is probably way better over there.

    But does going to a team where the GD is so lopsided help his chances of being a national team guy ? I am going to say no way in heck. Hurts it big time. One, not hard seeing him be the scapegoat and benched when they lose.
    Two, Kinnear has developed a few players in his day.

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  6. While Stoke don’t play a nice brand of football, they do play hard-nosed, unrelenting defense, which will only further Cameron’s game and give him a better chance at snatching a future CB for the USMNT.

    The question remains, however, whether Cameron will be able to break through into Stoke’s Starting XI. Ryan Shawcross is their captain and will certainly be starting while Robert Huth was tremendous last year. There have been past rumblings of Huth’s potential departure, but nothing within the last few weeks.

    I agree that Everton will likely not be outbidding Stoke for Cameron’s services. It looks like they could, however, be selling Leighton Baines to United for 16M and may be on the verge of signing Hugo Rodallega on a free from Wigan.

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  7. The only thing I wonder about is if Stoke plans on playing Cameron in midfield given their current set of backs. That would be interesting given that his future with the U.S. is in the back.

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  8. Yeah, if Donovan goes there and lights up the house and it’s like, ooops, no $ for a transfer, come back when you’re free, I can’t imagine any Everton offer for Cameron was very lucrative.

    Pulis is a good coach in his own way, but though Everton’s offer was bad I think working with Moyes and playing a different style is actually the type of thing that needs to happen for us to see if he’ll flourish. Because I imagine Pulis is just looking for a somewhat sharper version of the Dynamo player he’s scouted, to play the same spot(s).

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  9. And my comment is that 99% of where Cameron’s style of play would have been evident with Houston, which plays a lot like 442 Stoke, which you deplore.

    I’ll be interested where they play him, I thought he was misused as a CM, he’s more like a RM or CB. Of late he’s struggled at CB which raises the question whether he’s been daydreaming EPL or if something is off.

    My concern is whether he does more than dress for Stoke and in fact plays. Upson stayed and Woodgate left, so that make him “Woodgate?” That would make him a sometime player for a mediocre EPL time that loves 442 kickball and deadballs just like the team he came from. Does that magically make him better? We’ll see.

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  10. Huge move for the future of USMNT. USMNT is desperate for CB’s. Cameron is a now player at his age and desperately needs to be thrown into the fire if he is going to develop into a top CB. It’s a sink or swim type move for the big guy, but he’s at a point in his career where he could benefit greatly from such a move. If he does well, there’s nothing standing in his way of him starting for the US in the middle of the defense.

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  11. I’m not particularly a Cameron fan…I just think he’s as good of an American defender as we have in the MLS and deserves a move. And while he’s in Europe, I’d prefer that he develops into a USMNT starter-quality player.

    Mine was not a comment on Cameron’s style of play…I just wish him well in spite of the fact he’s playing for Stoke.

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  12. He’s got a better shot at regular playing time at Stoke. Everton has some very good center backs. If Everton wanted him it was probably as a replacement for Distin, which would mean he would ride the bench for a year or two.

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  13. It would be odd for you to be a Cameron fan but dislike Stoke because my impression from watching them on occasion is they are a 442 longballs and deadballs bunch out of Dominic Kinnear’s Dynamo dreams. I assumed that was half the reason they were interested is we’re like looking in a mirror, the learning curve would be shorter.

    My concern if I am Cameron is that he might be ticketed initially for the Woodgate role as bench cover to Huth/ Upson/ Shawcross.

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  14. in no way was i implying that this made them a better team! I almost added a sentence about how while good business its not good timing with a new stadium and a hopeful playoff run.

    Hopefully they use the funds to add players and build the team stronger, but im just saying that 2.7 million is a good fee to bring in! especially when players like Cameron often leave for nothing.

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  15. I wonder how serious the Everton interest is, and whether or not Stoke has outbid Everton. If Cameron has a choice, I would think that Everton would be the better move.

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  16. +1. Okugo’s future at CB is looking mighty fine right now.

    And JackMac and Hoppenot alone give me a lot of optimism for the future of our striking corps. Very exciting.

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  17. Congrats to Cameron…I think he deserves this move. However, I am NOT happy he’s going to Stoke. I love hating Stoke and their terrible style of playing football…I don’t want these hatreds to be softened by having Cameron there!!! (haha)

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  18. Yeah, it’s sure a great way to set up for the playoff run!

    I might be enthused if the Inbox looked as active as the Outbox, but we’re going to need more than Boniek to make this team competitive, and we might need to replace Cameron-as-back now just to ensure that rough defensive patch a few weeks ago does not repeat.

    In your defense, at least you’re looking at this as business and not the horrifyingly naive “Cameron’s transfer makes the Dynamo look good.” Losing a player makes you look better? Certainly not the field product, not unless you work the Inbox. It’s only some Europhilic fanboy thing where we look better for selling someone there, which is to me too much like actually applauding when a major league sports team trades its malcontent star to “a contender.” As a Houston fan I give a crap about what’s left.

    Since 1/3 goes to the league and another $625 K probably goes to an allocation, and we also have to offset Boniek’s million coming in, the issue quickly becomes the value for the money, which will cycle back out. Do we spend it wisely or do they hire another Landin? At which point I’m a little nervous the transfer window has gone quiet for us with 2 and 1/2 weeks left.

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  19. Good move all around, it’s always good when MLS players transfer to bigger and better leagues, especially when it is an American.
    Also, this bodes well for young americans playing in the MLS, since Cameron basically was a rookie at 22 and is considered a young NT option and can still demand a transfer even though he is 26. I look forward to the future of players like Okugo and Jack Mac as a Union fan in this case.

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