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Report: Leeds eyeing Rogers

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Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

A day after locking up centerback Chad Marshall for the foreseeable future, the Columbus Crew may be on the verge of losing a key figure from its attack. 

Winger Robbie Rogers is closing in on a deal with Leeds United, according to a report from England. There was always a high possibility that Rogers would not return to Columbus, with his contract with the club expiring at the end of this past season and the player being open about his desire to return to Europe. While the report linking Rogers to Leeds is far from iron clad, it does seem more and more likely that he will end up somewhere overseas.

Rogers has spent a good part of his offseason in Europe, training with FC Kaiserslautern in Germany along with Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman prior to making a trip to England. Leeds isn't the only club that has expressed interest in Rogers, as Blackburn is also reportedly said to have interest in acquiring his services. 

Rogers, who left the University of Maryland after one season to go to SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands, has been with the Crew since the club won a lottery for his rights in 2007. SBI has attempted to contact his representatives regarding the potential transfer to Leeds, which has recent experience with Americans. The club employed striker Mike Grella for the last two years and also had fullback Eric Lichaj on loan last winter.

What do you think of the potential move? 

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I think the Rogers bashing is hilarious… while I will agree that his development has stagnated.. he has also been at the same club for 4 years now… sometimes a new scene brings things out of players…

    Any one on here that can honestly say that he has no upside is just being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk… Rogers has speed, he can use both feet and his skill is actually much better than many wingers in the Championship…

    Everyone bashed Findleyt but he has done just fine with Nottingham… he makes the game day roster every match, he plays quite often and has bagged some goals too… BUT HE WAS AWFUL… according to most oh here..
    Awful is a relative term… Awful top 20 team in the world international… sure but not a bad player overall…

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  2. He is fast. He does sometimes use that speed effectively. I have seen him make decent crosses. I think he still needs to develop a better soccer brain, but that can happen. If he plays in Europe, he will learn that expectations are very high, even in the championship, and he will be brought to task by the local press for every failure. The That is something that does not happen routinely in the US. Of course that assumes the coach thinks enough of him to actually let him on the field on game days.

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  3. Why do you say I must be a big Rogers fan?

    Is it because I’m not just dying for him to crash and burn?

    Unlike you I’m not deeply offended by the idea that Rogers might actually finally turn that potential of his into productivity after all these years.

    Whatever Daniel was trying to say (and you should let him say it unless you are his mother) it made no sense. He has a right to be incoherent. Let him own it. He earned it.

    Rogers has plenty of ability. He just needs to get his head on straight and keep it there.

    If he does that he can be very useful.

    If he doesn’t he’s useless and he is out of a job.

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  4. I’m quite familiar with Benny. When he’s great, when he wants to play it’s wonderful. Then again when he isn’t in shape or his head isn’t quite right it’s not so wonderful. He could be a very valuable piece for JK or he may never play for the US again. Who the hell knows?

    All the other guys you are talking about may or may not pan out. Rogers has about as much chance as they do of maybe making a difference in 2014.

    The difference is, I don’t care which one of them works out.

    You seem to be mortally against the idea of Rogers succeeding which, if you are a fan of the US, is rather unfortunate.

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  5. That’s for players who’s options are not picked up. Plus players have to actually enroll in it or allow it from what I remember.

    Rogers probably had no options left and is a free agent, but looks like he has little wishes at least for now to return to MLS, in which case he might have an argument as he might need much help in a team trying to trade for is rights if indeed Columbus still has them, since you have to go thru the re-entry drafts to become a true free agent in MLS… or so they say

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