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Stoke City, MLS closer to Cameron deal

Cameron (ISIphotos)

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Geoff Cameron negotiations between Stoke City and MLS have not always been smooth, but it appears that a transfer deal for the Houston Dynamo star will be going through after all.

As of Friday, talks between the two sides hit a dead end, because they were far apart on agreeing on the transfer fee, sources told SBI. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that in the days since, enough progress has been made to the point that Cameron has entered into negotiations with Stoke City to discuss personal terms of a deal with the Premier League side.

The Chronicle reports that MLS was seeking a transfer fee in the $3 million range, two-thirds of which would go to the Dynamo should the transfer be completed. Despite both Cameron and the Dynamo hoping for the deal to happen, Cameron suited up and played in Houston's match on Sunday, a sign that a deal was not necessarily imminent.

"Both sides have worked very, very hard over the last few days to come much closer to a transfer agreement," Dynamo president Chris Canetti told The Chronicle. "There is apparent light at the end of the tunnel for a deal to be done. However there is still work to be done, but nothing is 100 percent complete at this stage."

If and when Cameron agrees with Stoke and gets approved for a UK work permit, he might not have to travel far to meet his new teammates. Stoke is currently in Switzerland for a five-day training camp the ends Friday. The club travels to the United States on Sunday, though, to embark on its North American tour that includes friendlies against the Columbus Crew, Orlando City SC and Sporting Kansas City on July 24, July 28 and Aug. 1, respectively.

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What do you think of this development? Happy to see progress has been made?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I like Cameron, but where is going to play at Stoke? They are really solid at centerback with Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth, and they never miss a game. Will he play D-Mid, Right back, or is he intended as a backup for the future?

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  2. Wasn’t saying he shouldn’t move there, was just musing during the game. Not even going to respond to the, “You haven’t seen Stoke City play remark”.

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  3. I hope the Cameron deal gets done if only to vindicate Brian Sciaretta. Guy’s been getting a lot of trash for saying this deal would go through. Best soccer reporter out there.

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  4. If Stoke use GC in the midfield his Nats career is over. He would be no better than 5-6th option there. At CB for Stoke if he gets playing time he could continue as a solid backup option to Boca & Goodson.

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  5. I agree, Marlin, otherwise Stoke would not have persisted in these marathon negotiations. I have been a big fan of Cameron in a USMNT shirt, and think that if he not already is too good for Stoke, he probably will be within a year or too. That is why I hope he is careful in his personal negotiations with Stoke. Someone please correct me if am wrong, but didn’t personal negotiations derail George John’s deal last August with Blackburn. It seems that John jumped through all the hoops, getting club and MLS approval, then traveled to Greece to get his Greek passport so he could get a British work permit, and only then did he go to Blackburn to discuss personal details and they tried to sign him on a very cheap deal and he refused to sign.

    After seeing how Stoke City is apparently quibbling with MLS over a few hundred thousand dollars, I would not be surprised if they are just as tight-fisted with Cameron’s contract. At 27, if he would sign a three- or four-year contract, this could be his last chance for good one. A lot of players in Europe demand a clause that allows them to transfer at an automatic transfer fee rate. And if Cameron keeps improving, which seems highly possible, such a clause would allow him to make a move in a couple of years to a top team without Stoke blocking the move. Maybe a transfer fee clause at three or four times what Stoke is paying for him now. In any case, Cameron should definitely consult with a certain national men’s team coach who knows a thing or two about player contracts in Europe.

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  6. in 5 years if NASL builds up to where it can be i think you’ll see more young prospects start their careers with the Cosmos instead of MLS. NASL doesn’t have silly drafts or salary caps. Wouldn’t surprise me if in a few years they just start signing guys that are in the MLS draft with the selling point that we’ll facilitate your move to Europe while MLS will hinder it.

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  7. I hear where you’re coming from but I think that’s a myth.

    FYI, Geoff Cameron came straight from college and there wasn’t exactly European clubs knocking down his door.

    In fact, if compared, I think you’d be surprised the amount of Americans in Europe who came through MLS and not STRAIGHT to Europe.

    So…yea, a myth.

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  8. If MLS doesn’t allow players to move on to better clubs and leagues, then players won’t start their careers in MLS in the first place but skip it and go to Scandinavia or something. MLS needs to support the players. It’s in the best interest of the league.

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  9. Stoke will give him, the pieces he’s missing: defensive consistency and tactical awareness. The guy flat out has talent. He even LOOKS like a prototypical EPL CB, but without the rigor in training that Stoke should provide for him, he’ll never be reliable enough back there to play at the highest level.

    Re him as a cdm? I don’t feel he has enough speed to be a great cdm. I think Stoke is his best bet.

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  10. I watched him play midfield the other night and all I could think the entire game was, “This guy has way too much skill to be playing centerback for Stoke City…”

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  11. He was developed in Houston, was a loyal servant to the club playing in numerous positions, probably to the detriment of his own development as a international caliber CB and now is being rewarded to a move to one of the most prestigious leagues in the world.
    He’s undoubtedly going to be making ALOT more money as well. How can you not be happy for him? The Dynamo can take that money and use it towards development in the soccer hotbed of Texas or find another player who can play CB as well (perhaps Bocangera).

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  12. And the weather would be a little more hospitable if the MLS schedule could be gradually modified to play a little more in spring and fall and less in summer.

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  13. Good deal for Geoff. I am glad I saw him whip on DCU the other night. Now, lets get Ricardo Clark back in orange! I hear it might be possible????

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  14. Absolutely agree with you about that b. If only the weather was more hospitable, I think it would, indeed, be more attractive for players for the purpose you state.

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  15. As a Stoke fan, excited to see that this is going to happen. With the U.S. tour the timing really couldn’t be better, and Stoke could use someone like Cameron moving between RB, CB, and DM (and let’s not kid ourselves, on set pieces).

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  16. Of course Dynamo fans should be happy to see him go. One, their team gets 2/3 of the transfer fee, for a guy who was a late round draft pick. Two, the more guys like Holden and Cameron that go abroad and have success, the more players will want to play for the Dynamo, as it will be seen as a route to reach Europe.

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  17. It’s strange to grasp but everyone in Houston is happy to see him go, and not for any other reason than we all feel he deserves this moment. We take pride in his success, even though it will be a big loss for us. It is that attitude that makes me proud of my hometown and the overall MLS culture.

    Of course, the pain will be lessened if the rumor mill about Ricardo Clark possibly return to the Dynamo is true. Right now every Houstonian is making prayers this is more true than false, but it is the silly season after all.

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  18. “Being a feeder league isn’t a bad thing at this frame of time in our leagues development. ”

    It is really more of a question of being a buying vs. a selling club on a consistent basis.

    And we all know who they are.

    Except for the EPL, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga, all leagues are “feeder leagues”. And even in the Big 4 leagues the “lesser” clubs, for the most part, serve as feeder clubs to the bigger clubs.

    It will be a very long time before players stop dreaming of their ultimate destination being Barca, Real, Man U., Bayern Munich , Milan, Juve, etc.

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  19. I’m going to be in Houston for Saturday nites match v. Montreal. I hope he plays a lil so I can get a few pics, his last time in a Dynamo kit! He probably won’t play though . . .

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  20. Good for Houston/MLS sticking to their guns.

    Despite what the American-based Euro knuckleheads say, there’s zero reason to simply give away Geoff.

    Being a feeder league isn’t a bad thing at this frame of time in our leagues development. Long term, it’ll help it grow.

    However, it’ll only grow when clubs know they have to pay for the service they value. Not get something for, borderline, free.

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