The Bolton Wanderers are desperate to avoid relegation this season, and they are hitting the Major League Soccer talent pool hard to try and avoid the drop.
With Tim Ream already lined up for a move to Bolton (upon receipt of a UK work permit), the Trotters are now preparing a transfer move for Philadelphia Union star Sebastien LeToux.
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.
Highly underated…good for him.
Thank goodness there is no more Out the Door
who cares about what Eurosnobs think???
Bad for MLS because he is now a star you come to think of when you think of the league.
Bolton blows
Philly can’t afford to lose their only proven player. He has carried the team on his back the past couple seasons. Now h finally gets some help and they get rid of him. He has become a household name in the States. Poor move unless they can bring in a bigger name…
I’m happy for him. I hope he does well.
The G is close to the B, you get a pass for now. You only get so many.
it’ll be fun to watch, at least.
Watching Bolton will be perfect for you then. They might have some guys you care about and you wont have to suffer through any championship years.
is it a complete transfer or a loan like the Donovan deal?
I would rather see players for a few years, develop, then move on to bigger leagues and be an above average MLS team .. then have to endure winning championships watching players like Brian Ching and Kyle Beckerman year in and year out. I’m fine being a feeder program for big clubs. Whats better then saying, “hey look at that guy he’s a star … i saw him when he was young/developing on his way up.”
Oh God Noooooooooooo!!! Man I love that guy. If it gets done I’ll route for him from afar. In all my years watching futbol, he has the highest work rate of any forward I have ever seen. His leadership can not be replaced. Bienvenue Le Toux!
Anton Pederlin, I believe. He now plays for Walsall.
You forgot some guy named Demerit.
“But it’s just as likely the EPL clubs end up with an Eddie Johnson – MLS doesn’t provide a good metric to judge well, as we don’t have viable lower leagues to fall to. ”
Not really. Coyle is noted for having a good eye for underappreciated players and getting a lot out of them.
Care to explain what relegation has to do with it? Other than EJ what examples can you give of MLS players who failed in the EPL?
If they are not good enough they don’t get signed in the first place. At least 24 Americans (not all of them were MLS guys) have played in the EPL and EJ is the only outright failure that I can see.
MLS does not send a lot of players there but given the comparative newness of the league, that is hardly surprising.
The J League which is around the same age has sent how many players to the EPL? I can’t think of any.
“I don’t think he’ll be able to step into the EPL and start racking up goals right away.”
Le Toux is not an outright scorer and he will be playing for Bolton, so yes scoring goals will be hard to do. But he is perfectly capable of injecting new life into their offense and that could make Bolton better team.
Mr. Gold,
Bolton currently plays in the Premier league not the Championship.
Should Le Toux’s transfer happen he will have a shot at playing about 15 league games in the EPl before the end of the season.
That is a total of 45 points on the table.
While relegation looks likely it is far from a certainty.
Also, you can only play for the USMNT if you have a US passport. You can only get a US passport if you have had a valid green card ( permanent resident status) for 5 years. Then you have to go through the testing process.
My understanding is Le Toux is somewhere between two to three years away.
I’m sure there are exceptions to everything but to the best of my knowledge it’s never happened for a soccer player
hah
There was a guy who went from the PDL in califorina to Everton a few years ago. Signed contract and all, but never made an appearance for everton. Now that was a jump.
Explains why the Union snapped up Chandler Hoffman in the draft. Mwanga, Hoffman, McInerney, Josue Martinez, Adu. I think the Union will be well covered in attack.
I don’t think thats right. . .
Great for Seba always my favorite USL Sounder and a class act. He was a fan favorite for a reason would hustle all game and was always the last one to leave the pitch after signing autographs.
You have heard of DVRs and scouts haven’t you? I’m sure many of the EPL teams have guys who watch tape and then show highlights to the next level up (whether that’s an asst coach or whoever).
Agreed the Union are run extremely well, and I believe that most will admit that. However in your college sports recruiting analogy you are only thinking about the top 50 or so teams in Division 1 when you say the recruitment involves saying where the program has placed someone. You are referring to an extremely small percentage of student athletes in this country. Most of them want to go to that program based upon how they feel about the school, the academics, and the team they are going to be on.
I am not completely disagreeing that it isn’t good for MLS, but there is nothing wrong with keeping a 27 year old star on a team that he fits the mold of perfectly.
And before you go and say that I do not know what I am talking about as far as the college thing goes. I coach basketball at a small Division 3 school.
Only the Regis case is illustrative here. Dooley as the son of a U.S. serviceman was automatically eligible for an American passport. Regis’ citizenship was expedited after his marriage to an American woman in France, if I remember correctly.
Sarcasm? Everyone knows season tickets are non-refundable. I will be there March 18th as usual and throughout the season. Probably just with a pouty face.
Or are they cutting expenses to prepare for Champions League?
WOW!!!!!
From the lonely Sounders of the 2nd division in USA to Bolton Wanderers. He has certainly rised in ranks fast, good for him. Rep MLS will son!!!!!
+1
double *Whoosh* you FAIL.
The dirty little secret might be that England arguably over-prices its own talent, which makes MLS talent seem cheap in comparison. It’s kind of their own fault.
I guess I’ll get a little more value out of my foxsoccer.tv subscription now…
MLS must look like a treasure trove of underpriced gems to struggling EPL sides. Bolton struck it incredibly lucky getting Stuart Holden, who ended up being their best midfielder when not injured. There have been other MLS players that ended up being worth far more than their purchase price (Ryan Nelsen, Brian McBride). But it’s just as likely the EPL clubs end up with an Eddie Johnson – MLS doesn’t provide a good metric to judge well, as we don’t have viable lower leagues to fall to. LeToux is a very good MLS striker, but I don’t think he’ll be able to step into the EPL and start racking up goals right away.
lol
No deal at all, he doesn’t need one.
Hmmm, if only he was playing in Germany
If the price is good, let him go. Otherwise, Hell NO. He is the heart and soul of the Union.
It’s been reported that Ream is going to make $1.6MM/year at Bolton. In MLS, he makes about $65K, give or take $10K as I don’t recall the figure exactly. Le Toux can expect a similar exponential, life altering pay raise if it happens. Tough not to make the move even if he’s a role player over there rather than a star here…
All the best to Seba. Philly will be hard pressed to replace his production & energy. He’s been a crowd favorite since the 1st home game where he scored a hat trick to beat DC. You will be sadly missed @ PPL Park. Seba the door will always be open for your return. Adieu Monsieur Le Teoux
#truth . . . “we’re in the drop zone, we can’t keep the ball out of the net and we can’t put it in theirs . . . . let’s sell gary cahill and sign . . . . that forward playing over in MLS”
And I disagree. It seems more like a last gasp to avoid relegation for a club with very little money to spend.
They show the ESPN MLS game of the week there, or at least did when I lived there for a period. It alternated with Brazilian and other leagues in the wee hours of the morning.
It is not ridiculous to talk relegation about a team inside the drop zone who has trouble keeping the ball out of the net just sold their best all around player this season/defender.
This is not a move to avoid relegation, its a move to add a more affordable option for depth and selection at a troubled position.
None of which should be taken as indictments of Ream or Le Toux’s talent level or worth, but they are moves right now that limit the amount of roster turnover if relegation occurs, and add depth at great pricing. A relegation means some players are automatically gone due to contract clauses.
I think it’s pretty clear the “they” is referring to Bolton.
I think we’ve already produced years of players like McBride and Dempsey, but the sheer degree of it now, including players like LeToux, suggests that we’re past national team cherrypicking that merely coincides with MLS, and on to being a true player source as a league. US Soccer can’t lay some parallel claim to having produced this one.
That being said, there is a different pipeline out of MLS where players like Koke who couldn’t catch on here have found minutes in first divisions abroad including La Liga. So it’s not necessarily a total tale of us knowing what we have and exploiting it until the Europeans sign it.
I know for MLS purposes the green card gets you out of the international slots, but I’m not sure whether a green card suffices for nationality for international play. I forget whether you have to convert that to a passport to play internationally. I know some players like Mastro started out with green cards but I don’t remember if they had to do the next step before getting a cap. With the SOPA Wikipedia blackout it’s harder to go back today and look at Dooley and Regis and the others and figure that one out.
The one thing I’d say practically speaking is if we had any interest in LeToux I have a feeling that hurdle could be leapt. Personally it has some of the air of loving George John about it — we have to have it so no one else will, quality aside — but LeToux is a pretty good technical player and better than some of the people Klinsi and Bradley have brought in.
*Sniff sniff* Huh… what’s that smell? Oh yeah, desperation.
wikipedia it! actually contact your congressional rep first then wikipedia it!
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Loved Le Toux in Seattle–that guy runs forever, and will do fine at Bolton. His touch seems so much better than when he was a Sounder, but maybe he just needed to feel appreciated.
If Bolton stays up and West Ham is promoted, next season in the Prem will be the best ever for Yanks Abroad fans. Rooting for Buddle at Everton to stick as well–he can help them, I think…
good luck to Le Toux, Bolton and all! Great to see him get his chance at the biggest league!
Owen Coyle (sp) must stay up all night and watch a lot of MLS football in the UK..