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Jones turns down $6 million Fire contract

Jermaine Jones

By RYAN TOLMICH

After spending much of the summer pursuing a move to Major League Soccer, the future of U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Jermaine Jones is now very much in doubt.

The 32-year-old midfielder has turned down his biggest offer to date: a reported 2.5 year, $6 million guaranteed contract from the Chicago Fire. The offer would have put Jones amongst the top 10 salaries in MLS.

Jones would have reportedly received $1.3 million for the rest of the 2014 MLS season before earning $2.35 milion in 2015 and 2016.

The former Schalke and Beskitas midfielder rose to prominence with a spectacular performance at this summer’s World Cup, proving to be one of the USMNT’s top players during the team’s time in Brazil. However, despite a long-rumored move to MLS, Jones’ club future is now up in the air.

What do you think of Jones’ refusal? Where do you see the midfielder ending up?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Who knows what JJ wants (except more money, likely if Chicago were a total no-go for him, his agent would not have spent any time trying to get a deal).

    At 32, he is not likely to get a much better offer from any MLS team unless one suddenly sees a dire need for a defensive mid to get the team into the play-offs and do well there. He will not pull fans in like Dempsey and Bradley can since most fans do not go to games just to see hard tackles.

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  2. He wants to play for LA Galaxy.

    Why shouldn’t he be able to sign with the team he wants to? MLS is forcing him to sign with Chicago or not play in MLS. That’s no way to run a league.

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    • Chicago is not top of the allocation list, not sure how MLS is forcing him to sign with chicago

      While i do not disagree with your thought process, i feel you have it wrong on this instance. Some have put out interest, but chicago is the only one public with a bid

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      • Yeah you tell ’em or whatever. I’m gonna call you Bradford City from now on is that cool? So as everybodycan tell us apart even though we’re both super smart. Chest bump BC!

      • BECAUSE OF THE DP SYSTEM YOU DOLT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OTHER CLUBS CAN’T OFFER HIM A CONTRACT BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR DP’S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. That’s cause he’s coming to Columbus! He’s gonna live in German Village and Schmidt’s is gonna name a sausage after him…duh.

    Ives, please tell me something I don’t already know.

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  4. Platini and sepp bladder advised him to follow his heart and go play in Qatar…since of course his heart is set on making the most money

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  5. I would be shocked if he finds an MLS contract now. Don’t think anyone is going to offer him what he wants. I’m betting he wants Dempsey money to retire in the league. Not going to happen.

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  6. Chicago needs to sign him. And I think they will, eventually. Jones deserves more than $6 mil. Furthermore, every casual fan I know LOVES Jones. He’d draw interest to the Fire. They’ll make another offer.

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  7. Is it possible for fire to move their stadium or is it possible to move a stadium?
    Chicago is a top market and I guess it will never get there. If I was chicharito I would definitely go to Chicago, same thing with ronaldinho and jones.
    Chicago, Boston, Dallas, deserve a downtown stadium,if Miami gets one, then why those markets.

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  8. Obviously you haven’t seen his and his wife’s Instagram their life styles just fits LA so I’m sure it has nothing to do with the money. Maybe Orlando could work for them but I don’t see them moving anywhere else. I’m sure that they are hoping Omar Gonzales moves abroad and he would take those 6 or 5 mil happily.

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  9. Jones wants to stay in LA. Get Garber to create some “special league allocation money” so he can sign there. Garber and Arena can fix the books however they want to spend whatever they want.

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  10. I suppose MLS doesnt rate JJ at the same level as Demps and MB90.

    MLS paid transfer fees and invented rules to get both of those players on board.

    I also dont see why paying the guy 6-7 M a year is a probelm. Lampard is 36 and got a better deal.

    I wish MLS would just step in and make things happen.

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    • You have to factor in Jones is 32 while Bradley is 26, and goal scorers like Dempsey are always going to make more. Why NYCFC is paying Lampard so much I have no idea. I’m sure they’ve done studies on his name recognition.

      I still think a re-branded LA would be the best spot for him. Go with silver and black and be the LA side with an edge.

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      • LA2 sounds more-and-morelike Plan A as far as Jones is concerned, who appears very relaxed for a guy seeking his last big contract. For all we know, he already has a deal negotiated contingent upon the ownership transfer. Maybe Don G. will have aotheer announcement during this year’s All Star game.

      • hopefully so, but until then, what? he just doesn’t play and the US lose an influential player until the new season?

        i really hope they get this figured out soon, sign the contract, make it public, and move on.

      • I agree that Jones seems to have his head nowhere near competitive soccer right now, which is a vacation that has to end at some point. Gotta pick up some work, JJ. Go temp for somebody while you sort it out, if need be. But selfie time is almost over.

        But as far as the USMNT goes, I wouldn’t get too excited about seeing the first choice XI anytime soon regardless, particularly the veterans who will require replacement. This is the time to cast a wide net and refresh the depth chart… assess the inventory. Prob 3-4 of the first group per game to preserve some continuity and structure, but it’ll be some low-grade stuff, as it always has been at this point in the cycle.

      • He’s probably not going to be a first XI player during the next cycle, so it’s not really a loss. I’m sure he’ll get the occasional call for injury/suspension losses, but I don’t think he’ll be the stalwart that he was last cycle. Time waits for no man…

      • Until someone shows up, he’s still a key player. So to me, it’s a big loss. You guys are talking more long term, and i agree, but my comment is talking short term. He’s 32, so he still has something to give. But unless he is playing, he’s useless.

      • That’s completely stupid. How could he have a deal with “LA2” when they don’t even have an owner??? Why would MLS over pay for a player if they’re trying to sell a club. I highly doubt LA will have 2 teams next year period. They don’t have the support and it’s not just about the name of the team

      • They have an owner, much like everything else in this world. For now, it’s MLS. And yes, MLS can sign players (they would not overpay, even if you don’t like the price personally). Might even be easier. Add value to a communal asset so that it can be sold for a higher price. Not rocket science.

        You actually think MLS is going to just suspend the franchise, and restructure the competion and schedule next year? Who’s stoopid? There will be two teams from LA next year because there are many people with contracts that say so. Not just soccer players, either. MLS is not some co-ed rec league, where a team has to sit out a season because somebody forgot to pay their 60 bucks. I don’t even know where to begin really– why would you ever say something like this?

        But all that (entirely accurate but not relevant) bs aside, I would bet that they do have a new owner, and we will all know about it very shortly.

  11. He earned €4.5m a year at Schalke. He shouldn`t have chosen to play for the USMNT. That clearly cost him half of his market value.

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  12. As a Chicago fan, sure it sucks that Jones isn’t coming here. But we don’t need a midfielder! We need a defender (Arne Friedrich-type of leader) and a striker. I would LOVE to offer $6 million to Phillip Lahm – not going to happen. And if he didn’t have his head stuck up his a**, I would offer a record signing to Chicharito. Why not? Chicago deserves better. I could dream…RIGHT?!

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  13. given his contract option in Turkey, which they did not exercise, was for about $2.4M plus $13,000 for each appearance. so this Chicago offer would be just slightly less. either way, Jones tweeted this morning that he was flattered by the offer but that the figures were not correct. hmmmm

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    • That’s post tax, I believe, so you would just slightly double it (slightly less than double) to get the pre-tax amount.

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  14. he’s worth 3 million a year.

    give him a 7.5 million 2.5 year contract and he will sign it.

    if not he should head back to the PL or sign with PSG or Galatarsaray for the $$$

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    • yeah because im sure PSG is looking to sign him…

      also, if Besiktas wouldn’t pick up his option, what makes you think Gala would want him?

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      • They wanted him back, but he didn’t want to go back. He his hell bent on MLS and everyone knows it. That’s too bad because he lost his leverage.

      • what? i’m almost positive Jones confirmed in an interview prior to the WC that they did not exercise the option.

      • Speaking of roomers, did you see all those stories of Michael sam’s mizzou roommate dissing him for presumably getting an attitude with all the attention. Who was JJ’s WC roomy? speaking of athletes getting attention for coming out, RR is fairly helpful to LA today. They’ll win the cup

  15. I wonder if he thinks he should get MB or Deuce $? Worth it?…maybe on a short term deal. Unfortunately I don’t see that happening for him in MLS. Would love to see him land in this league so we could see him every week. But looks like he’s Euro bound. That’s too bad.

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    • thats the problem with offering those 2 8 million dollars a year.

      Sure they had som success in Europe and are big NT players, but not worth it. I’d have given them 4-5 million a year. Heck 8 million should be reserved for the RVP or Rooneys of the world with say 12 million a year for MESSI.

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    • “I’m talking w/some clubs. I showed in the World Cup I’m on the same level as Dempsey & Michael Bradley”- @Jermainejunior on his future

      That is from JJ’s Twitter page. Anyone who thinks this guy is worth big money in MLS should browse through his Twitter page (have a barf bag handy) and Instagram photos of him with Paris Hilton and others. Interesting that JK stuck defensive midfiedler MB in the central attacking midfielder slot at the World Cup a strategy designed to fail and which no sensible coach would have done. The result was that MB unsurprisingly flopped at the WC and JJ didn’t and got the good press.

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      • JJ kids are cuter than heck. Dunno why You only focus on the bad. Did Pau Gasol rub you the wrong way too?

      • no sensible coach would have done? Jozy got injured which forced Dempsey from that attacking mid spot to up top. it’s not like JK went in with that being Plan A…

      • Which other player in MLS rubs shoulders with starts and gets the league noticed since Beckham left. Jones will step on the field for any team and almost instantly become the best player on that team plus Jones merchandise will fly off the shelf. He deserves what he’s asking for. We can’t keep mistreating our own guys. Lampard got a kings ransom!! Jones is somewhere in-between Dempsey and Lampard

      • Quit citing that he instagrams photos with famous people. It really doesn’t mean that much and makes your point sound stupid. Plenty of worthless morons take pics with célèbre toes and post them on social media without it actually elevating their real life stature in any way

      • “mistreating our own guys”?

        Unfortunately, 99.9% of Americans have no idea who this German is. He is a good player but if he wants to play here and build his name he needs to sign a contract. Otherwise he is soon going to face the reality of finishing up his career in Europe’s lower divisions.

        Up to this point JJs career accomplishments are miles below Lampard, Henry, Beckham so he should never get the money they do. This is his chance for a good MLS contact. If he stalls he will have Gooched his career.

  16. Ze Fire sux
    No Paris Hilton, Mike Tyson and Justin Beiber in Chicago so no Jermaine Jones.
    JerJo Doesn’t like ze Vince Vaughn or Bill Murray. Who iz ze Belushi?
    JerJo no like ze stuff pizza Chicago no have any thin crust anywhere. Also ze Hot Doug’s iz ze closing.
    Ze fire offensive firepower and best striker iz name amerkwhat??
    NIET CHICAGO

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  17. His performance in the World Cup wasn’t “spectacular”. James was spectacular. Mueller was spectacular. Campbell was spectacular. Jones was just good, otherwise teams would be all over trying or sign him.
    He needs to be grateful for the chance we gave him by taking him to the WC and stop pretending he’s Thomas Mueller.
    I guess that’s what you get when you deal with mercenaries.

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    • That was anything but a “mercenary” effort in the World Cup.

      What does a man have to do before some people give him his due? He was by far our best midfielder at the WC and I’d argue he was up there with Howard as our best player of the tournament. And he absolutely ripped his guts out for the USA.

      Geeze, people. His ongoing battle against Porkensteiner against Germany was epic. Schweinsteiger wasn’t just cheap-shotting him all game, he was trying, it appeared, to incite and maybe even hurt Jones…and JJ never reacted, never drew a card, and this was a guy everybody told us was “a red card waiting to happen.” You don’t do that to a player you don’t fear.

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      • nicely said; I thought Jones was baited by Germany and in the ghana game. He kept his head and did not pick up any silly cards. Jones was our best player, and his goal against Portugal was fantastic.

      • in qualifying our CONCACAF friends tried the same tactics with him, and JJ proved himself then too, didn’t bite

    • Lol. Your statement is hilarious. The guy was hands down the best American on the field, besides Howard. Of course, when you compare him to the elites he won’t match up, but its all relative. He was the best for us, but he was very good on the grand scale of things.

      Also, you compared him to strikers, which is unfair. He was probably one of the top three defensive midfielders in the tournament.

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      • He was good not ” spectacular” spectacular WC players have teams falling over each other tring to sign them. Jones is TRYING to come to MLS and make much more money than he’s worth because he had four good games in Brazil.
        He was so “spectacular” Chicago is the only team offering him a contract.

      • Jones had a great World Cup but he’s 32. That’s why teams aren’t ‘falling over each other’ to sign him.

      • Sorry bud, but this is simply an argument you’re not going to win.

        Short of winning the Golden Boot or Golden Ball, a 32 y/o player’s not getting a ton of offers from anyone.

      • 32 year olds never have teams falling all over themselves trying to sign them after a World Cup. If Jesus Christ scored a hat trick in the final, he wouldn’t get anything more than a one-year deal save perhaps from some Europa League teams. Arsene Wenger wouldn’t even make an ofer.

      • Considering they would only get one year out if Him that would be wise (33 was all down hill for Him; technically UP HILL). Even Pontius Pilate looked him over but couldn’t decide on Him or Barabus.

      • +1 I thought I had fumbled that until you swiped it up and ran it in yourself. Big time, Nic.

      • True.. But then he would disappear and never heard from again.. Fans would speak about him,.. Buuut,.. that would be seriously annoying

  18. I don’t think he wants to be in Chicago. I wouldn’t be surprised if money wasn’t the real problem, but location was.

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    • Got to be my guess. Very good offer and it would be a great fit…. Surprised and disappointed he didn’t take it. He must really be set on LA which isn’t happening until Chivas gets their business inline

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      • Makes sense, that’s what they get for thinking you can put minimal effort into the team and think they can show an interest in competing for 1 week and they would just magically get the biggest free agent on the market for MLS to sign with them. Serves Haupnot right.

    • City is awesome. Franchise is horrid. If anybody can get it right here Fire are a sleeping giant. Unfortunately they’ve been in a coma the last 10 years.

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      • There is really only one thing I hate about Chicago, an otherwise excellent place. And that thing is Cubs fans, and their never-ending pity party. Nothing worse could happen to them than the Cubs winning the World Series. They would be lost. Deprived of identity. And if history is any indication, they would take the only move left to them and become intolerable, smug @ssholes like Red Sox fans due to lack of a better idea.;

        Fire fans… please do not let this happen to you! 10 years is not Rip Van Winkle. Not even Terry Schaivo. It’s a nap.

      • Agreed 100% I’m from Rogers Park and even so, I can’t stand Cubs fans. It’s sad for me to see the state of my Fire these days. I left Chicago 9 years ago and the writing was on the wall then. After AEG unceremoniously sacked the beloved Peter Wilt and replaced him with the fabulously inept, woefully unqualified creature by the name of John Guppy, everyone who knew what the Fire were could see where the ship was heading. When the team uprooted from Soldier Field to Naperville (and finally Bridgeport!) thereby estranging themselves from the young, urban fanbase that made up the Ultras not to mention many of the Latino fans and most if not all of the Eastern European fans… I knew it was over. Honestly I am surprised the team hasn’t folded. Its really effen sad, because for at least 6 good years I went to every home game and man was it electric. We had a good team, a great franchise. We used to look down on other teams woeful fans. Oh how hard they fall. Move back to Chicago please Fire. Be relevant. Stop languishing in no man’s land.

    • I agree. Fire games are woeful at the moment. I am not sure he would bring much to the roster because they don’t have the creative midfielder and “DP, why isn’t he the national team?” Mike Magee is glorified work talent.

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  19. Jermaine Jones has proven his worth. MLS teams either can’t afford his services or worse, don’t see his value to a team because he’s not a major scoring option.

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  20. Jermaine, you may deserve more after your WC showing, but you’ll be very hard pressed to find a better contract offer in MLS.

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    • And for Americans that don’t follow the USMNT closely he will be very hard pressed for even a scrap of name recognition

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      • True….but you could say the same about every Men’s National teams player except Landon, Howard, Dempsey and Altidore. You cannot imagine how times I had to explain who Bradley was,but everyone new LD or Howard.

      • Its true. If you aren’t playing Stateside you are invisible to Americans. Howard is the exception because he is a major star for the national team.

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