Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com
U.S. international goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann is reportedly returning to the Premier League, where he'll play a familiar role.
According to Sky Sports, Hahenmann is set to join Everton on a deal that lasts until January. A free agent since the end of last season, Hahnemann will back up Tim Howard, something he's done on the international stage plenty of times. Everton's current backup is Slovakian goalkeeper Jan Mucha, with whom Hahnemann will likely battle for backup minutes.
Hahnemann, 39, has long been rumored to be returning to Major League Soccer — specifically with Seattle — and while this reported signing doesn't prevent an eventual move to MLS during the league's offseason, it could keep him on the European radar and present more options overseas.
What do you think of this development? Hope to see Hahnemann stick in the Premier League for the long haul? Think he'll still be in MLS next season?
Share your thoughts below.
Great point. I can honestly see him getting 10 K a week. Not bad cash since he gets some good PR. He should try heading to the Bundesliga. He has a German passport or just go to MLS and sign with Portland for 300 K
Good move for him, I say. I would bet he’s playing for peanuts just so he can stay in a competitive environment until he signs for Seattle. Count on it.
Jaqua’s salary is a bit less massive than it was, he took a pay cut – though he’s still around 140k. Either way the way he’s looked I’d be surprised if he was back next season.
I don’t think a cash-poor (in EPL terms) team like Everton would pay that much for a #3 GK.
It’s a short contract at 3 months and a week. Let’s be generous and say Everton’s paying 10,000 a week. That’s $120,000 for three months plus whatever change for September.
Even if the deal is realistically half of that. $60,000 plus change for three months of training ain’t bad. And he can still go to MLS in February if no European team comes calling in January.
That must be Hahnemann’s plan/idea, because there is unlikely to be any playing time during this contract — maybe a few reserve games.
Or maybe he just wants to hang out and crash at Timmy Howard’s place for a few months and have Everton pick up the rent.
MLS clubs wouldn’t pay Hahnemann no more than $300 K. Keller is a legendary US keeper and he makes like $350 K. Hahnemann is a solid keeper but has only been in first division European football for like 4 years out of like 12 or so. I bet as Everton’s no3 he’s expected to make no less than $400 K
I think Hahneman was shaky when he played at Wolves. But maybe good enough for MLS, cuz Mondragon was a liability at Cologne, and is now something of a folk hero at Philadelphia. Go figure.
Good for him – important to be training with a club and keeping in shape to be positioned for next move. Best physical shape he was ever in was when he first went to Wolves and was 2nd to Hennessey – he then beat him out to be #1 for the rest of the season.
Quality post.
Mucha is good. I was impressed with him during their US tour this summer. I doubt Hahnemann will be able to beat him for #2.
Why didn’t Hahnemann go back to Colorado because he could have helped them in the CCL instead of that Ceus as the #2.
I think you’ll see seattle dropping jaqua’s massive salary to if possible
Or if he does plan on signing with Seattle he might as well pocket some cash in the mean time.
Long haul? The guy is almost 40…
#2 or #3 at Everton pays more than starting MLS I guess…
The MLS roster freeze for this season was Sep. 15th — so it’s too late to make any playoff changes for MLS teams.
No new players can play until next season. (Fairly certain a team can still sign players, like KC adding Omar Bravo in advance, but that player can’t participate in the current season.)
Bit of an odd signing, as Jan Mucha is Slovakia’s #1 and considered a more than reliable EPL backup/spot starter.
Hahnemann and his agent must be thinking this is the best way to get some (any?) exposure for the January transfer window in Europe. Then if that doesn’t work out he’d still have plenty of time find the right MLS contract — though he’d go through the allocation process unless some team signs him as DP, which won’t happen after the Frank Rost debacle.
Rost is isn’t bad of course, but he’s just exposed exactly why you don’t pay DP money when you can a quality GK for 200,000 (the Kasey Keller and Mondragon salaries).
And if Hahnemann goes to MLS, it’s unlikely he’ll end up Seattle. They’re already starting to feel cash-straped, and they need to resign Rosales to a bigger deal. They have Keller’s salary coming off the books, but they’d still have to work a trade in the allocation process to get Hahnemann — not to mention they’ll already likely lose a rotation player to the expansion draft.
Does his agent have the Philly Union’s number? They need someone ready to play now. If Marcus wants to be in England then the Everton spot is good, but don’t expect minutes, Tim is rarely hurt.
Does his agent have the Philly Union’s number? They need someone ready to play now. If Marcus wants to be in England then the Everton spot is good, but don’t expect minutes, Tim is rarely hurt.