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Norwich elect to end Kamara loan deal, returns to Sporting KC

KeiKamaraNorwich3 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Norwich City had until Monday to decide whether they wanted to sign on-loan forward Kei Kamara on a permanent basis.

They didn’t even make it past Saturday night.

Following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, where Kamara played the final 18 minutes of the match, Norwich announced that they had agreed to let Kamara’s loan deal end, returning the Sierra Leone international to Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer with immediate effect.

The 28-year-old moved to the English Premier League club on January 30, making 11 appearances for Norwich with one goal. Last season for Sporting Kamara bagged 12 goals in 37 appearances, and helped lead the side to a U.S. Open Cup title and first place in the Eastern Conference.

What do you make of this news? Do you see Kamara having an instant impact back in Kansas City? Do you think Norwich should have signed him long-term?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Again, is everyone ready to stop drinking the koolaid on these loan-to-purchase deals yet?

    I’ve said it countless times and specifically in the case of Kamara, when his loan was announced on this board: These type of loans are ONLY beneficial to the team getting the loanee, not the team doing the loaning (or the league).

    If a club is interested in his services…BUY HIM. MLS plays hardball with American players but willingly caves in to foreign talent and their willingless to cater to the likes of EPL clubs.

    If you’re not, renting him only further enhances his risk for injury or disappointment in his performances which lead to no sale. Again: INJURY / NO SALE = Not good for MLS.

    I don’t buy this garbage that he has gained valuable experience and now will tear up MLS. I also don’t buy that his services have been marketed, because he had a fairly average to below average showing. I also don’t buy that his absence has somehow made SKC a better club.

    MLS needs to stop these loan to buy deals. Period. The percentage a permanent deal has actually been struck, I would imagine, would be in the single digits of percentages.

    Want to be taking seriously MLS? Act like a league, not a little brother vying for approval.

    Reply
    • I don’t think your statement is right. SKC gets a nice chunk of change and, if they sell him, can double dip. They also extended his contract as part of the deal should he stay. It’s perhaps the most savvy personnel deal in the history of the league.

      Reply
      • “It’s perhaps the most savvy personnel deal in the history of the league.”

        -How much did they receive?
        -What did those funds go towards?
        -How has the loan funds improved the team?
        -What information do you have that he’s going to be sold?

        Most savvy deal in the history of the league? That’s a huge statement.

      • According to everything you’ve said it’s not really that big of a statement. All I know is I trust Sporting management way more than your hyperbole.

      • By all means, if you want to jump in from the sideline, contribute some sort of substance.

        Still waiting for some facts regarding the most savvy most in MLS history.

      • Old school WTF. You offer no substance, have no idea what you’re talking about (my source for other offers for Kei is Rob Heineman). Jump in from the sidelines? The idiot who is just running his mouth and I quote “MLS needs to stop these loan to buy deals. Period. The percentage a permanent deal has actually been struck, I would imagine, would be in the single digits of percentages.” seems to be the one on the sidelines. By the way was there a fact in there somewhere? Sounded like your made up BS stat to me.

      • Keeping trolling.

        You and crossmlk are trolling from the sidelines.

        Mike In Missouri added some insight but didn’t follow through with reasoning for his stance on this being the “most savvy personnel deal in the history of the league.”

        I don’t mind a debate. You and crossmlk are adding absolutely zero to the conversation.

    • Loans don’t have to be just about MLS business. They can be about the player’s dreams. See SKC CEO Robb Heineman letter at the time of the loan.

      http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2013/01/letter-robb-heineman

      “Strange as it may seem, we think this gives us the best opportunity to keep Kei long-term. As much as he loves Kansas City, Kei deeply wants to experience the EPL and this is his chance. So we’ve partnered with him to give him the chance to do so for the first 10 games this season. The loan proceeds will allow us to reinvest in our existing young core of players and solidify their futures in the club. In the event Kei is signed by Norwich City, our club would receive a very fair transfer fee that again, we’d use to reinvest in our club.”

      “We want Kei to continue to be successful. He deserves it for the hard work he’s put in. There’s a chance we won’t get him back, and if so, we can all cheer him on in the EPL and be proud to call him one of ours. But if he comes back, I know we’ll all welcome him with #heartshapedhands.”

      Reply
      • This.

        Also, long-term it is way better for an MLS side to be feeding players into the Premier League regardless of whether it is by loan or by transfer, because more and more talented players with European ambitions will want to play in MLS in exchange for a chance at greatness. If they see MLS sending players across the pond–even on loan–that will factor into their decision-making processes as free agents, no doubt.

        Finally, as a SKC fan, I am so happy to have Kei back, but part of me wishes he could have stayed in England permanently–he’s a good guy who totally deserves a long-term shot at being a part of a top-flight side.

      • This is a business. Kei could be the greatest guy in the world but it’s not good business to simply cater to a players “dreams”.

        Quote:

        “The loan proceeds will allow us to reinvest in our existing young core of players and solidify their futures in the club. In the event Kei is signed by Norwich City, our club would receive a very fair transfer fee that again, we’d use to reinvest in our club.”

        ..and again, I’d love to see how much funds were captured for this loan deal to “reinvest” into the club. Of course, there was not and likely will not be any transfer fee to speak of when it’s all said and done, so that portion of the statement has rendered itself hollow.

        I’m all for being presented with some numbers to sway my opinion but if this deal came down to “it’s been Kei’s dream”…, excuse me while I continue to point out why this deal and the entire concept of a loan-to-permanent deals are bad business and rarely produce anything worthwhile in the short or long term.

      • For the most part, I agree with what you are saying. However, here are two details of the loan deal you should know;
        1) Kamara agreed to a contract extension with SKC should he not be purchased by Norwich at the end of the loan deal. That is huge because his contract was due to end after this 2013 season. Undoubtedly, SKC would have lost him on a free transfer at that point.
        2) The allocation money from Norwich that SKC would receive through MLS will never be known. Even if the amount of allocation money that any MLS team has at their disposal at any given time is reported, it is rare that the exact figures are included from specific deals. Note: I suspect you knew that already.

        Finally, I do disagree that this was not helpful for SKC to sell Kamara to a different EPL or European club when the silly season begins on the first of July.

  2. He’s going to be sold… Many clubs took notice of the impact he made with Norwich and he has myriad suitors throughout Europe.

    Reply
  3. that sucks, Kei should stay in Europe since he just got used. Now SKC has to fit him into the starting 11.

    Reply
  4. 1 goal in 11 matches. Several of those he came off the bench. He had an assist or 2. 1 goal i believe he had that was stolen from him. Usually he played well enough to help the team win

    Reply
  5. this is crap. EPL always does this to MLS.

    we could be the perfect pipeline for them. Quality players for cheap. 1 million to 3 million for tons of our talented players. they just love to lowball

    Reply
  6. he’s a solid scorer who would cost probably 1.5million.

    Norwich should get him. Let him be a super-sub

    Reply
    • @best band in the world right now is FUN: Do you really suffer from p*enis envy like you said on today’s Soccer Saturday commentary thread? Funny. Poor guy. ha-ha. Maybe that’s why you are so jealous of Clint Dempsey. Ha-ha.

      Reply
  7. Can anyone explain the timing of this deadline? Why wouldn’t he remain with Norwich through the end of the EPL season?
    And if Wigan had lost or tied today would that have made a difference in Norwich’s decision not to keep Kamara?

    Reply
    • I don’t remember exactly but it had something to do with mls transfer window closing and if the deal ended at the end of the premier league season he would not be able to play for skc until it opened again at the end of June/early july

      Reply

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