Top Stories

Report: 1860 Munich keen on Agudelo

Juan Agudelo FC Utrecht (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Juan Agudelo’s status as a free agent makes him an intriguing option to clubs that are still in need of a forward, and we now seem to know one of the parties interested in his services.

According to a report out of Germany, 2. Bundesliga side TSV 1860 Munich are looking at Agudelo as a possible summer reinforcement. Lions sporting director Gerhard Poschner recently admitted without naming anyone specifically that the club could still sign two forwards in the coming weeks, but the 21-year-old Agudelo has been identified as a player on Munich’s shortlist.

The U.S. Men’s National Team striker is currently without a club after seeing yet another attempt at landing an English work permit to play for Stoke City denied earlier this summer. He spent the past half-season on loan at FC Utrecht and scored three goals in 14 appearances to help the club avoid relegation in the Eredivisie.


If Agudelo were to sign with 1860 Munich, he would join Bobby Wood as American forwards on the club’s roster. Wood, also 21, has been with the club’s first team since 2011.

The Lions are off to a slow start this season, dropping both of their first two matches by a combined score of 6-2. They currently sit in 17th place in the 2. Bundesliga.

—–

Think Agudelo should sign with 1860 Munich? Prefer to see him at a bigger club or in a different league? How would he fare in the 2. Bundesliga?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Friend in Munich says probability if this signing is at about 80%. 1860 needs help up front so this could be a European club where Agudelo gets some serious playing time instead of sitting on a bench at a larger club in England. 1860 also seems to have gotten their act in order the past couple years and should be a contender in the fight for promotion this year.

    Reply
  2. wish there was a team in Portugal or France or Holland or Belgium willing to drop cash for him. He’s a decent forward and young and capable. Much better than playing in the 2nd Bundesliga

    Reply
  3. like the move, hope it works out. Agudelo is absolutely national team material, bad timing/injuries and bad transfer moves knocked him out of one WC cycle but he is so young a good move like this could put his national team career back on track.

    Reply
  4. His agent must be awful. From going to a staple in the Premier League to second division Germany, I would look for a new man to represent you Agudelo.

    Reply
    • He didn’t play for Stoke because he couldn’t get a work permit. They have arbitrary rules like you have to play (or is start?) 75% of your MNTs games that year. Dempsey was one game away when he signed with Fulham so it was waived. It was waived for Tim HOward when he signed w/ Man U. He was a backup to Kasey Keller at the time.

      Reply
      • Yup.. but he’s right… that’s a bad agent… agent absolutely has to know that, or otherwise protect him against the move entirely. Very poor.

  5. His loan couldn’t continue because Stoke had to release him when he didn’t get a permit however after that I don’t know why they didn’t sign him as a free agent

    Reply
    • Agudelo is a lot bigger than people realize, I believe he is about 6’1 and 180, in comparison, Jozy is usually listed at 6’1 and around 175.

      Reply
      • One website lists Agudelo at 170 and Altidore at 175 (but at the same height, 6′ 1″). Still, given their respective builds (and reputations), i would have expected Altidore to be bigger then Agudelo by a greater amount. He seems to play bigger than 175. Then again, how many strikers weigh a lot more than that?

      • Yea, I’ve seen him listed anywhere between 170-183, but recently I usually see around the 180 mark. Like you said though, Jozy looks so much bigger, they carry their weight differently and have different builds.

      • Bigger forwards? Ibrahimovic and Jan Koller come to mind, but there aren’t that many. In MLS, I think Kenny Cooper and Alan Gordon are about the same size.

      • And ironically, Cooper played for 1860. Lets hope Agudelo’s move there turns out better than Coop’s did.

    • I walked beside him a few years ago when he was with Chivas USA, and was pretty surprised by how big he was. I’m about 6’2 ,180 and he was taller than me (albeit in his cleats.)

      Reply
      • No way man. supposedly he’s 6’1. Maybe it’s his hair that adds a few inches. Jozy is 6’1 but plays like a much bigger forward.

    • I agree I think 1860 would be a good fit for him. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t been signed yet forwards who can score aren’t exactly a dime a dozen. Does anyone know why his loan at FC Utrecht didn’t continue?

      Reply
      • Most likely because he was being loaned from Stoke. Once that deal was off, then Utrecht would of had to sign him to a deal themselves. Then, in the Eredivisie there’s a minimum on what non EU players can be paid. So it would have cost them a lot more to keep him there.

    • I almost don’t want him there because he and Wood play the same position, which means less time for one of them. However, the team is on their way up so it’s better than nothing.

      Reply

Leave a Comment