Kenny Cooper is on his way back to Europe.
The former Manchester United reserve player has been sold by FC Dallas to German Bundesliga II club 1860 Munich. FC Dallas informed season ticket holders of the sale on Friday.
Cooper, 24, is coming off a Gold Cup that saw him score two goals for the U.S. national team and earn a place on the All-Gold Cup team. He scored 40 goals in 93 appearances for FC Dallas over the course of three and a half seasons.
Cooper had been linked with various British clubs in recent years, but FC Dallas turned down previous attempts to secure his services. With the current season all but over, and Cooper's contract set to expire after the 2010 season, FC Dallas decided to cash in, which will give the club more resources to work with in the winter as it looks to rebuild.
Is Bundesliga 2 a good fit for Cooper and a good landing spot for a player with aspirations of bigger things?
It's tough to say. If you look at the list of American players to play for 1860 Munich (Taylor Twellman, Josh Wolff, Gregg Berhalter, Steve Purdy), none of those players made a move upward. In fact, all four players wound up going to MLS after being with 1860.
Does that mean the same will happen to Cooper? Not necessarily, but he will be the exception to the rule of he does progress to a bigger league.
What do you think of Cooper going to 1860 Munich? Disappointed he's not going to a First Division club in Europe? Happy to see him move on? Think Germany is a good fit for him?
Share your thoughts below.