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Cameron asks to leave Stoke City

Geoff Cameron Stoke City (Stoke)

By IVES GALARCEP

If you were wondering just why Geoff Cameron was nowhere to be found when Stoke City lost to Aston Villa on Saturday, the reason has become a bit more clear.

Cameron has asked Stoke City for a transfer, and a growing list of clubs are interested in acquiring the versatile U.S. Men’s National Team player.

As reported on Goal.com on Monday evening, clubs from Italy, Germany and the Premier League have expressed interest in Cameron, and a transfer could take place as early as this week for the 29-year-old former Houston Dynamo standout.

The driving force behind Cameron’s request to leave is a desire to play as a central defender or defensive midfielder after spending the past two seasons at right back for Stoke City.

So why might Cameron want to stop playing right back? His future role with the national team could be a factor. Jurgen Klinsmann has long held that Cameron’s best position is centerback, and used Cameron there and in defensive midfield at the World Cup. Finding a club willing to play him as a central defender could help bolster Cameron’s chances of remaining a starter for the USMNT in the coming World Cup cycle.

What do you think of this development? Where would you like to see Cameron go?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The sooner the better. He needs to find a team that wants him to play CB…hopefully he ends up with an Italian team.

    Reply
    • There’s no quote in that story, simply says “Cameron’s people”, which seems a bit weak. Funny thing is the way that story is structured the author knows a move is coming, but since he got beat to the “Cameron asked for a move” angle he feels the need to shoot it down. I’ll stand by my story.

      Reply
      • People sometimes play games with ambiguity, like, goading interested parties by saying “no one’s made an official offer” when informal transfer numbers have been discussed, just no formal transfer bid filed. Possibly similar to say, he’s asked for a transfer but not formally requested it, ie, turned in a piece of paper. It sounds to me like everyone concerned is pursuing transfer but they have the “out” of his never having formally requested it, if all bids are deemed unsatisfactory.

      • ives, there’s no quote in *your* story, and yours simply says “sources”.

        to be clear, i trust your reporting more than others (as i’ve stated elsewhere)–just pointing out that you may want to pick other reasons for calling the sentinel’s reporting “weak”. 😛

  2. USA beats Belgium with Beckerman at D-mid or at least has a chance. Cameron ruined it. He has no future with the USMNT.

    Reply
    • He’d number 4 at best because Calum Chambers is #3. If Koscielny is on the downslope what does that make Cameron seeing that he is OLDER than Koscielny? I think Mertesacker and Cameron might be the same age, but they play different roles. Mertesacker is more of an organizer with a great deal of positional awareness which Cameron does not have beacause of his lack of playing experience. Cameron, is more athletic, but that does not help because Chambers is a better and younger. He would not play that often at Arsenal. He be a squad player at best.

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  3. This seems odd to me, Cameron does not seem to have the talent to leverage such a move. I don’t seem many clubs lining up for a 29 year old that is demanding to play a position that he has seldom been used at on the club level in several years, and its not like he light up the WC playing centrally. I think Stoke may be his best fit as far as PLAYING at the highest level. I could see him serving as a squad player for other teams but not sure that is a step up.

    Reply
      • I disagree. I think he moves well and has the size to play CD. We need to remember he was asked to play a different position in the WC than what he played the whole year.

    • I don’t think he initiated/leveraged a move hoping teams would come calling. It’s a pretty sure bet they made inquiries with Stoke and his manager and he let it be known he would like to be moved.

      As far as WC at CB goes…. considering the level of competition he faced and the lack of playing time at the position and with his line mates in that role, I thought he did admirably. CB of all positions requires spot on timing and familiarity- the best back lines are totally synched up as a result of having countless hours together. Takes more than one camp.

      Reply
    • I think plenty of clubs in France, Germany, and Italy (where they love their >30 y/o players) would be ecstatic to have a player who started 3 World Cup matches on a team that advanced from one of the most challenging groups.

      Reply
      • Starting at a World Cup doesn’t matter. It’s the level of individual skill, knowledge of the position and playing experience. Remember the New Zealand CBs started 3 games at 2010 WC and no one was clamoring for them from what I remember.

      • There are probably many other examples of no name CBs from the WC, like Honduras, Trinidad, S. Africa, etc., but you actually picked a bad one with NZ. Winston Reid has been starting in the EPL for years.

  4. Wherever he goes, I hope he gets a lot of minutes. He sure played a lot of minutes for Stoke last season and he won’t improve his situation if he doesn’t start at a new club. Not sure this is the best move for him, since he may be too old for 2018 in Russia anyway and I think he could beat out Bardsley if he stayed at Stoke.

    Reply
    • At his age that is the key thing. At 33 he would be marginal for the NT in 2018, and he won’t improve his chances sitting, especially with a lot of backs, including FJ (26) and Chandler (24), waiting for him to find a banana peel. He already got shuffled down the pecking order this last tournament.

      I don’t think it helps him to be jack of all trades master of none. Both Kinnear and Pulis moved him around but at the NT level he might be better served as a specialist. I basically agree with JK, play CB. He wouldn’t need to be as mobile in 4 years, there is more need for someone to step up for the NT there, and it is a good fit to his skill set if he learns the mental side of the position by staying there.

      I don’t think he has the turning radius, close-order foot skills, or willingness to keep it simple to play CM/DM. On offense he tends to steam forward with long strides and play longer passes forward, which I think is more of a wing quality. But I don’t think he has the crossing for wing play, at least at the level to beat others out to the NT. In theory the melding of his defense and his long wing strides could have been RB, but I’ve not seen him actually put that into action. He could be a decent CB option if he learned to stay home and not dive in. So I think he should sign somewhere they will start him at CB, and learn the trade.

      I think a lot of his top league options will simply recreate his playing time plight at Stoke. He doesn’t need to make an abstract point like some kid, he needs to find a home and play, to keep himself relevant for this cycle. If he starts bouncing around he risks the Boca Treatment when the money is on the table in years 2-4 of the cycle. I would not do the agent’s dream of signing the best deal and hoping.

      Reply
  5. Bringing in Bardsley certainly is another factor. While I watched enough Sunderland last season to know he’s not that great, he is a right back.

    Reply
    • I watched Sunderland enough last year to know that Geoff Cameron is a much better right back than Bardsley. Too bad those at Stoke don’t know any better.

      Reply
  6. He’s not gonna be a first choice CB in any PL team off the bat. He could probably get time at like Hull where they have Europa and their backline seems to pick up a lot of injuries. Maybe Leicester or Burnley he could break into. Outside of that he’d have to leave England unless he dips to Championship. An Italian team would probably be a good fit for him. More teams there play with defensive mids.

    Reply
    • Uh…just saying, why?

      He’s got the size. He’s got the athleticism – this is a guy, mind, who’s speedy enough to play CM. He’s pretty good in the air. He’s got the technical ability – again, see the fact that he’s good enough to play CM, and is good enough on the ball to even be a right back for Stoke.

      He had one gaffe in the World Cup against Portugal and it left him a little shaky the rest of the game, but he was hardly a disaster. He held up more than fine against Ghana. Against Belgium he was solid enough at CM to keep Fellaini in check and Belgium had been bullying people with Fellaini all tournament. All things being equal, against the toughest group in the World Cup…that ain’t a bad tournament. At all.

      Remind me again why he can’t hack it at CB? I think it’s a natural progression, at this stage of his career. Especially because he’s not likely to ever unseat the likes of the much speedier, and much younger, Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin at RB for the USMNT. But CB’s can keep playing, productively, often until they’re 35, or even older.

      He isn’t Vincent Kompany, but then again, not many people are. I certainly don’t see much difference in his skillset or ability to 90% of the CB’s in the Prem.

      Reply
      • Agreed. Sunderland should be moving for him. Those two ain’t getting any younger. If they’re in the last year of contracts, get Cameron. Cameron,get a relegation release clause up front though. justin case

      • Sunderland have no idea what they are doing… let’s keep it that way. No Yanks need visit that dump.

      • not sure if you mean the move from fulham or the move from spurs.

        at fulham he was pretty much the man, but wanted to test himself at a higher level. Dont recall too many ridiculing him for that.

        the move to Seattle, lots of people didnt like, but he didn’t really ask out, Seattle more swept in for him. I dont think these are that similar of situations.

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