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Sporting KC reject increased Juve bids for Palmer-Brown

ErikPalmerBrownUSU18s-Spain1CopaDelAtlantico (LasPalmasFootballAssociation)

By TATE STEINLAGE 

Serie A leader Juventus remain relentless in their pursuit of Sporting Kansas City defender Erik Palmer-Brown.

Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes told SBI Saturday the Italian side has come back twice now with increasing offers since originally bidding $1 million last month.

“It’s gone up each time, and it’s just not something we’re willing to entertain,” Vermes said. “I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, we haven’t had the intention to sell the player [Palmer-Brown], number one. Number two is it would take quite a bit for us to sell him at this moment because we feel that he has potential within our club.

“He’s been with us since he was 11 years old. He’s been developed thus far by us and I think if we keep doing that he has incredible potential and we see it in him. So at the moment we’ve declined all offers.”

Vermes’ statement comes on the heels of an ESPN FC report that surfaced Friday claiming Juventus are “making progress” in signing the 16-year-old defender.

The report gained further interest when Sporting Club chief executive officer Robb Heineman confirmed later that evening that Juventus are in Orlando, Fla., scouting Palmer-Brown as Sporting KC continue preseason play at the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic.

If a deal is to be met between the two parties, it will likely be to send the defender to Italy once he turns 18, which would be April of 2015. FIFA laws forbid the transfer of players under the age of 18 strictly for soccer purposes only.

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What do you make of the Erik Palmer-Brown situation? Should Sporting KC hold onto the defender or take a Juventus offer? Let us know in the comments below.

Comments

  1. sounds like Vermes is talking tactics of a different sort – talking to the press to up the ante on the Kansas City Kid (wish i could take the credit for that nickname) – typical negotiation tactic saying you weren’t intending to sell, then saying you will for the right price (meaning a lot more $$$)

    Reply
    • He’s under contact, so he doesn’t necessarily have an out at 18 (he might, depends on the HG contract he signed). If he does, he does, and SKC keeps his MLS rights.

      Reply
  2. It’s a gamble. Sell him and hope he turns into the next Cannavaro or keep him and hope he turns into the next Maurice Edu.
    Decisions, decisions…..

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  3. Did anyone read the article?

    He CAN’T Transfer over before he is 18 anyway. So no, he is not going to any “academy” to “develop” in Italy.

    He will be “developed” by SKC this season regardless.

    The issue is whether Juventus pays for him now, or pays (potentially) relatively more for him later as an 18 or even 19/20 year old. That’s all this is about.

    Again, he would be at SKC this season whether they made the transfer or not.

    Reply
  4. People need to understand that this is not about what’s best for the player. It’s about money.
    If the money is right they’d sell him to the Chinese second division in a heartbeat.
    Unfurtunatelly the kid is who gets shafted in this situation.

    Reply
  5. How else do you expect the league to grow if we keep letting our young players walk? Love that KC is keeping him, finally more European teams won’t have to look at MLS for “bargain” players and will have to start paying up.

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  6. Guys, I think in all the Euro – MLS bashing we’re forgetting the awesome part of this all of us should be able to agree is a great sign for US Soccer.

    We’ve now reached a point where a club like Juve is willing to pay class money for a 16 year old defender.

    Reply
  7. I love that SKC/MLS won’t let him go. How are we ever going to grow as a league if we continue to sell our top young players. It’s truly a win for US Soccer and MLS if he stays.

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  8. If KC does their very best developing this kid he’ll one day sign a DP contract with MLS…… Or ride the bench in Europe. For the shame

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  9. I try to look at the EP-B by maybe another perspective. Compare Ricky Rubios situation and what the NBA offered. Juventus is the Lakers or Celtics. SKC is no pushover , however at some point over the next few, couple of years it may be in EP-B’s best interest as a player, particularly a defensive one to go to Juventus, to train and learn and further develop as he has the desire and potential.
    For now perhaps all parties involved are best served to run with the status quo and hope to see EP-B in the MLS at least a season or two. As well as further developing with the USMNT program.
    I however have no say, invested care, or control over what EP-B, his family, or employers do.
    I do wish him all the best for a long healthy and successful professional and national team career.

    Reply
    • It is a pretty equitable comparison. However, Rubio didn’t come over at 16 and play in the D-League/the NBA’s developmental league, he waited until he was further along, played and proved himself in his home/Spanish League, the Olympics and finally came straight into a starting NBA role. So…. if this is to be an example of a sensible approach, Rubio’s path would be analogous to Palmer staying put in MLS and establishing himself there first.

      Reply
  10. There are two basic flaws with this argument that the player should be transferred to Juventus for his own good.

    1. Using this logic, no club should be allowed to develop youth players. All young player development should take place with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, and maybe 3 UK clubs. Irrelevant of the reality that the majority of players at those clubs on their game-day rosters (except for Barcelona) were developed at other clubs or in other countries. Yep–all you Africans out there–you’re prohibited from becoming professionals unless you get offered a youth contract by one of the big 5 or big 10 clubs in the world b/c otherwise it would be futile for you to pursue the support. Ditto for all you Brazilian and Argentines–don’t you realize how foolish it is for you to attempt to become professional players if you aren’t playing for Juve or Real Madrid as a youth player?

    2. It assumes one size fits all–that the same development plan fits all players. And that claim (one size fits all) isn’t true for panty house and it’s not true for youth development.

    One last thought: the big clubs chew up youth players and spit them out–the vast majority of players entering their academies or reserve sides never become first team pros.

    Reply
    • actually, the biggest flaw in this argument is that Juve can’t do much for the kid for another year. He could go over for some limited guest training like Junior Flores has been doing. Staying with KC is probably better than that.

      Moreover, Juve knows that. Their bid is discounted to account for that. So, maybe KC is just rolling the dice, in the belief that there will be greater interest a year from now, in terms of the number of teams interested and the numbers they’ll be offering. .

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  11. This is just business, Juve thinks the kid has potential and is trying to get him on the cheap. Sporting KC is basically saying no to the current offers but I’m sure there is a number SKC/MLS won’t say no to. He can still go over to Juve at 18/19 still develop into a good/very good/great CB if that is in the cards.

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  12. If he stays in MLS he will never reach his potential, however high it may be currently. We have a rare chance to export a talented young player to a club with a respected and proven developmental program. He needs to be facing better competition as soon as possible. Don’t be selfish, MLS, do what is best for the player.

    Reply
    • Just like Landon Donovan never reached his full potential. Yeah right. Get over it.

      If you want this kid to go to Europe so bad, feel free to buy him and his parents tickets to any European country of your choice. It’s all better over there, isn’t it?

      Reply
      • Well — that’s not the right comparison. He went from USSF national academy to Bayer Leverkusen, where he continued his development before the loan to San Jose….where he was a first team star…and then returned to Leverkusen for a year. KC isn’t going to providing the same opportunities.

      • Nah, I think by saying this you too dismiss those games played as a “first team star” as not part of his overall development.

        The point is Donovan was playing first team games in a much weaker MLS back then that helped him become the player we see today. Yes he started with Leverkusen, but they never gave him those first team minutes that helped him at that crucial point in his career when he was younger. Those MLS minutes cannot be discounted when tracking the arch of Donovan’s career – a point that he has been making for years now.

        So I think Reality Check’s example works.

      • Philadelphia sent Zach Pfeffer on loan to Hoffenheim so that he could get experience playing on their reserve team. Can’t see why SKC couldn’t do the same.

      • That was sort of an odd deal, because there wasn’t a ton of incentive for Hoffenheim, unless they decided to buy him. Most teams won’t take on a player without some incentive (and a pre-negotiated deal might be the incentive needed).

      • Mr. Reality,

        Landon Donovan was an IMG product who then signed with Leverkusen and made his pro debut in Germany.

        After about 20 games and 6 goals in their regional leagues, he got himself loaned back to the Quakes. His first season there he had 30 games and 12 goals. He did well with the Quakes and had his USMNT break out year in the 2002 World Cup about 12 years ago.

        One could argue that MLS did not develop Donovan, that between IMG, Leverkusen and the US youth setup he hit the Quakes running and never looked back. I would argue that he maintained his form in MLS along with that his automatic, regular international participation.

        I would further argue that Donovan is a once in a generation player who would have been a success regardless of where he grew up. However, given his personality, MLS and the USMNT were almost certainly his best bet for a long, productive career.

        The point is Donovan is not a good example of how well MLS develops players. He is the exception to most of the rules.

        After all how many other MLS lifers, USMNT eligible or not, can point to a career anywhere near what Donovan has had?

    • Brett,

      have you looked at juve’s 1st team defenders? not one has “developed” at the club. they have all been bought from other clubs that did the actual developing. again competition and other things in europe at this moment is higher than mls….blah,blah,blah, BUT juve doesn’t have 1! defender in their 1st team that they developed…..

      Reply
  13. Interesting story. Does anyone know how long his SKC contract lasts? Obviously, the kid signed a contract and SKC/MLS have a right to dig in their heels and refuse to allow him to pursue the chance of a lifetime.

    That said, the kid has the right to look after his own self-interest, just like Mike Bradley and his move back to MLS, and there is no doubt that his development as a soccer player and his financial situation will be much better at Juventus than at SKC. If SKC refuses to let him go, then, just like Juan Agudelo was forced to do and several others, he simply needs to find a good agent and make it crystal clear that under no circumstances will he sign a contract extension and six months before it expires he will sign a pre-contract agreement with Juventus and go on a free transfer and SKC/MLS will not get a single cent out of it and he will get a nice signing bonus for saving Juventus 1m plus in transfer fee costs and arrivederci.

    Reply
    • You’re projecting your own interests and biases on to the kid here.

      At no point as he or his family said that he wants to transfer, or that it is his dream to play reserve-team football in Italy. He could be looking at his long-term interests and say, “I’d like to play meaningful first team matches first and live close to my parents, and then when I’m 19-21 continue to evaluate my options.” You’re just making a whole lot of assumptions about his attitude that are probably more based on your attitudes.

      And he will be at SKC until he is 18 regardless of whether he transfers or not. He can’t go over there yet anyway.

      Reply
    • @DCUPedro: Juventus would not be making a formal 7-digit bid to SKC unless Erik Palmer-Brown had expressed interest in making the move. Quite frankly, you are the one projecting your own interests and biases, going so far as putting direct quotes in the mouth of the kid (“I’d like to play meaningful first team matches first and live close to my parents, and then when I’m 19-21 continue to evaluate my options.”) I didn’t put words in his mouth.

      So let’s look at it from Erik’s perspective. He is now making about 35k per year at SKC. Not bad for a 16 year old. But if Juventus is willing to pay SKC/MLS a 1m transfer fee, they probably would give Palmer-Brown a signing bonus of at least three-quarters of a million if they can get him on a free transfer. At his current salary, it would take Erik 22 years to earn what he would make from a bonus by simply signing on the dotted line. And his his salary at Juventus would probably be at the very least 15x to 20x what he makes in KC, would just be icing on the cake. What would you do DCUPedro? Or what would you recommend your son do in such a case?

      Reply
      • “But if Juventus is willing to pay SKC/MLS a 1m transfer fee, they probably would give Palmer-Brown a signing bonus of at least three-quarters of a million if they can get him on a free transfer.” But they can’t him on a free transfer, they’re paying 1m+ apparently.

        His salary would be 15-20 times $35k? Juventus pays its U18 players $600k a year? I’ve tried to look this up and can’t find anything but that seems extraordinarily high to me.

      • It’s not 2005 any more. Why is it so hard to believe that a kid wants to play with the first team with the MLS club that he joined when he was 11? I would guess he has a lot of trust in the SKC program if it has gotten him this far, and it seems completely logical that he would want to actually play a game for them, right? He has plenty of time to move to a big club if that is truly his dream.

  14. I hope Juve aren’t showing the hot the Italian girls are and that you can start drinking practically at the age of 12.

    In a serious note, I believe that ALL young players especially those with such potential at 16 do need more playing time. If he stays, he *could maybe* get some MLS minutes. And maybe some reserve league, CCL, and Open Cup games. But that still really isn’t enough. The reality is that right now, MLS team just don’t have that luxury that other leagues have–pay and playing time for young players.

    Just look at the example of Amado Moreno electing to go to Xolos. He wanted to play and knowing that you’re like 5th in the depth chart you won’t see much playing time at all. Plus maybe some more money, it was a no brainer. We are just barely starting to field USL Pro teams and some have NPSL teams, but this is just the beginning. It hasn’t established itself yet and the results won’t be noticeable until some time. The beginnings are always the toughest.

    Reply
    • sorry, but moreno isn’t getting 1st team minutes w/ xolos any time soon. he’ll be in the same situation that he was w/ rbny. more money? maybe, but he’ll most likely be like villareal and play in 2nd division at most.

      Reply
      • sure we do nasl, usl, that most mls teams have hooked up with one of them by now. although i get it that they have overall better Infrastructure, but I have yet to see any americans that have gone to mexico as a teen and have over passed any other player from mls. all the players from tijuana, and the rest littered thru out the MXleague haven’t done more or less than their mls counter parts. none that have played in the national team have really stuck around for to long. maybe next cycle they will be more prominent, but nothing right now shows me that moreno or anyone going over will be better off……just my .02cents

      • Do agree with you for the most part, but Arriola does see time at Xolos. I think he is the one of the few cases where going to Mexico is helping an American develop.

      • Only a few teams currently have USL affiliation. There is no NASL affiliation agreement. SKC DOES have an affiliation. I think it’s with Orlando. The big advantage the big Euro clubs have in that regard is that they can fit him into the right level according to his current skills, whereas there is reall only one option for SKC. If he’s not ready for Orlando or too advanced for them but not ready for SKC, he’s not being properly placed. The flipside is a risk of getting lost with a big club.

      • Sporting KC U-18’s play in the US Development Academy so for at least the next year and a half he’ll be getting about 30 games a year. After that though, there is a gap, which is a huge problem.

        In Palmer-Brown’s case, he may be good enough at that point for the first team but most 18 year olds aren’t. Bridging that gap is the most important thing we can do at this point to improve our development pipeline.

  15. Looking at the Juventus first team roster I can’t find one defender that came through their academy. I can’t find a single player on their roster that came through their academy or any that it looks like they developed. If someone has a list of the great players that Juventus has developed please share.

    This defensive fixture for the Italian National team was developed at another club.

    “Chiellini joined the youth teams at Livorno at age six and started out as a central midfielder.”

    Reply
    • +1, was going to say roughly the same thing. italy are great tacticians and are known for great defense., but to say that juve develops great defenders might be a strecth. most of their defense has been bought from other clubs. now, that competition and overall play is better in europe at this moment in time, sure i’ll buy that, but that’s about it.

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    • + 1

      Excellent point that gets missed in all of this. The teams that actually develop players in Europe are not the sexy names that most Euro fans know. These big clubs like and love to poach talent from smaller teams, and even when they do this it does not always guarantee “instant success”.

      This is not to say great clubs don’t have good academies but to assume that being in one of those academies will instantly translate into you making their first team, well that’s just nuts. Take a look at my Man United team – they hit that sweet bounty years ago with that amazing class of talent and, by the logic used on this site, you’d think they’d be cranking them out by the droves every year. Not so much – as year after year all I see are guys they hold on to and eventually sell off for cheap to lower league clubs.

      Then when you test the logic of “they will develop into better players” a bit more you find that most of these guys, who after being dished out to smaller teams on the cheap or the free, tend to fade into obscurity – making a good living, yes, but unless they come from a smaller soccer nation they rarely, if ever, see international ball.

      This is not as simple and linear as most make it out to be and a player’s development, over the course of a career will be impacted by many clubs and the calls they (the player) make at certain points in their life. One can make the instant magical improvement argument all they want, but right now I don’t see how lowly SKC (as some have put in on here) are doing, or have so far done anything to destroy this kid’s growth or potential.

      Reply
    • the current juve players that came through the youth set up are sebastian giovinco and claudio marchisio.

      i know nothing about this kid, but follow juve and their youth set up. although juve is making a huge effort/ investment to create a world class youth system, it is not a part of her history, thus there is still a lot of work to be done. further, even if PB showed promise he would not progress straight to the first team, as virtually nobody does that. what typically happens at juve/ in italy is that after progressing through the youth set up, a player is loaned out the a seria b team. if he does well, the next year he is loaned out to a lower level serie a team. if he does well there, juve would then decide to either take him or sell him for a little profit- juve often buy players, develop them a bit and make a small profit selling the player to other clubs.

      although i would love to see an american at juve, this club might not be the best for a young american… also juve’s youth teams are now stacked with youth internationals

      lastly, PB could be amazing, i have no clue. so no disrespect if he is good enough to take another route at juve… just wanted to let people know what the typical path is there.

      p.s.
      before you call me a euro snob… i will happily become an mls season ticket holder as soon as there is an mls club w/in five hours of where i live… c’mon mls give NC a team!

      Reply
  16. He is 16. He must be good already and some people think he will be much better later on. I think if Juve “signs” him, he can’t go there until he is 18. If he does turn out to be as good as some think, Juve is just trying to snap him up early for a lower fee than would be the case later on.

    He will probably be with MLS for the next couple years in any case.

    Reply
  17. it’s really up to the player. If he wants to go to Juve then KC needs to make it happen and a price that works for them.

    KC is an MLS club that is not making a profit. It’s probably better for them to get as much as they can for this player than to just hold on to him for a couple years.

    Reply
    • He didn’t see time with the first team last year (expected). I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him appear a few times this season, especially with the amount of matches Sporting KC have on their plate. Again, the kid will only be 17 in April — he shouldn’t be expect to be a star in the MLS right now just because Juventus are bidding for him.

      Reply
      • Beaker will get sold in summer and Palmer brown will slide to 3 on the depth chart behind Collin and opara. And with our schedule he will likely see first team minutes this year.

      • Then there seems no point in selling. The only thing I worry about for young players developing in MLS is that they get playing time. As long as they can put him on loan in USL for a year and bring him up when they sell Besler or Collin he should be fine.

        People can say what they want about MLS as far tactics and technical ability but it is still one of the most physical and athletic leagues in the world, and there is plenty he can learn here.

      • Sold to who? Besler cant start in the Premiership and he is basically on DP money with it paid down by allocation. Career wise, a move to the championship doesnt really make him more money and puts his spot on the national team in question.

  18. Why is there an assumption that Juve will magically develop him? Player development is always a total crapshoot, and it will be worse when he travels to an absolutely loaded team that he will have to be a stud just to make the bench for domestic cup competitions. He could be getting significant minutes at KC before he even makes the traveling squad for Juventus.

    KC is currently taking players without great athletic gifts and turning them into nat’l team starters. I’m OK with his crapshoot development process being there instead of Italy.

    Reply
      • Juventus is 1000x the club that SKC will ever be. They develop top class defenders, especially at center back. In terms of what’s best for him, this is like choosing a hamburger over a steak, oh so foolish.

      • I could care less about the union, o MLS for that matter. That has nothing to do with the fact that juventus would be better for his development than SKC. It could be LAG, RSL, or NYRB, he still would be better off at an elite club that is known for defense.

      • if this was true or absolute, Juve would be flush with cash from developing all their defensive talent into world elite players.

        This isn’t the case though, and its a simple fact

      • You’re assuming he’s going to get games. And are U-18/21 reserve team games really any more high pressure then MLS games? I don’t think so.

      • No, he will definitely get games. That’s the whole point. Jive has several different levels that he can play at. All of which, he will get games. Until EPB makes regular SKC lineup which will not happen for 3-5 years, he doesn’t get regular games. Thats the problem with MLS devo rmodel right now. Galaxy2 is starting this season. Once every MLS team has a reserve squad and they are playing the same number of games the Euro reserves sides plays, then its a different story, but clearly you dont understand the difference bt the devo models. Secondly, are you really telling me there’s more pressure and competition to make The SKC lineup than Juve? You’re not making any sense.

        This doesn’t mean MLS can’t develop good players, but his development will be slower because he’s just not getting Nearly as many games.

      • You really cannot say that his development will be slower at one place or the other. The mistake is making the assumption that, just because it’s Juve, he will develop better there. This could be true, but there is also a very good possibility that SKC is actually the best place for him to develop (they know him and will cater to his needs whereas at Juve, he is just another investment that may or may not make it).

        Each place has its advantages and disadvantages as far as player development. Assuming that one is inherently better than the other is a mistake.

      • OKC and OCSC are currently where he could get sent for games if he can get time, which with Open Cup, CCL, Besler in WC, and Collin having to sit every 7 games on yellows, there is some minutes. He is the 4th or 5th CB

      • CLEARLY you don’t know MLS then. Every team does have a reserve team. Now with the loaning to USL pro and also the reserve league and the academy teams I would venture to say that the youth development teams for MLS are posting the same amount of games if not more so then the European sides;. Plus, they have the added benefit of not having to worry about relocating ones entire family, learning a new language, culture, etc.

    • Mr. Jeremy,

      “KC is currently taking players without great athletic gifts and turning them into nat’l team starters.”

      Wow. I did not realize that Zusi and Besler we so lacking in athletic ability before they got to KC. The soccer teams of Notre Dame and Maryland must really suck and be full of non-athletes since Zusi and Besler were standouts there. And Maryland even won the national championship.

      Maybe Juve should be sending as many Italian kids as possible to Vermes. Then they could learn how to run, jump and move.

      Reply
      • Although I’m sure besler and zusi were outstanding athletes to have scholarships to major d1 programs, itd be ridiculous to not think they have developed into much better players at skc. My only problem is skc’s depth at cb. Collin besler and opara are all very capable and young. Could be a while before he suits up for us as well

      • mack,

        According to Mr Jeremy, Zusi and Besler did not have great athletic gifts BEFORE they got to SKC.

        Mr. Jeremy said they got those from SKC.

        Read his post.

        “KC is currently taking players without great athletic gifts and turning them into nat’l team starters.”

      • Besler is a better athlete than Zusi because of his speed, but he does not have the type of size that makes him a prototypical center back. Zusi really is not great athletically compared to MLS players.

      • Besler is six feet tall, fast and strong… and you think that’s not enough size to be a “prototypical center back” What soccer are you watching?

  19. Everyone calm down. If Juve really want him, they’ll pay good market value to get him. Good for SKC for holding out, but if there is real interest of course they will and should let him go. He’s 16 – the kid could be Neven Subotic, John O’Brien, Freddy Adu, Jonathan Spector or Santino Quaranta. Who the f*ck knows? Basically, the so-called euro-snobs are right, if he does have the capacity to be a top-notch player, of course he should develop in Europe; but they are also wrong, SKC should hold out for a fair market valuation – and they have every right to as a solid, successful MLS franchise.

    Reply
    • That’s a lot of cash for a 16 year old. I will say this. If he is going to learn a foreign language, to play soccer overseas. Now is better than later.

      Reply
      • He’s still in HS so maybe you should mention this to him when he registers for classes. Take [Italian, Spanish, German, etc.].

    • How many of the “top US players” that got sold either young either dont pan out or are now no longer young and are still not close to first team action? Renken, Jeffries, Quaranta, Gyau, lletget. The list goes on and on. I’d rather have him develop here and guarantee he’s going to get playin time then going through some big European clubs youth academy and never sniff the first team.

      Reply
      • “How many of the “top US players” that got sold either young either dont pan out or are now no longer young and are still not close to first team action?”

        This statement is still true if you replace the “US” with any other country

  20. Whew the eurosnobs are going to be out in force crying foul. It doesn’t matter where his development takes place he is going to be a future USMNT CB. And I would say his chances of actually playing first team soccer in a few years is greater with KC than Juve. Plus he has stated that while it’s cool to have a club like Juve interested in him, he is firmly a Sporting KC player for the foreseeable future.

    Reply
  21. hey guys- can you provide the citation of the FIFA rules? we’d like to see the part that says:

    FIFA laws forbid the transfer of players under the age of 18 strictly for soccer purposes only.

    “for soccer purposes only???” what other purposes are we talking about?

    I heard Juventus have a great recreational baking and pasta making internship program!

    Reply
    • Sooo I read it. The only way for this to work is if he parents go with him. Juve would have to pay them to go with him pretty much. A lot too. North American Parents won’t be moved by cash as much as families from other regions.

      The following three exceptions to this rule apply:
      a) The player’s parents move to the country in which the new club is
      located for reasons not linked to football;

      Only 1 that applies.

      Reply
    • “Non-soccer reasons” include parents taking a job overseas (see Russell Canouse) or continued education for parents or child. There is still some abuse (Barca just got in trouble for some of the kids that are in their academy for violating this rule). It appears that FIFA worries mostly about players who come over without a parent, though they could even crack down on that if it’s obvious that it’s really about soccer first.

      Reply
  22. This is insane.

    MLS, step in. This kid is about to miss out on the chance to develop in a world class youth program.

    “He has potential within our club.”

    Seriously, you’re freaking Sporting KC. You’re a nobody. Potential at your club? Beyond potential at this point. The top Serie A team is persistently trying to sign this kid for big dollars and “he has potential within our club.”

    This is the clownish behavior that infuriates me. You don’t have the resources or talent to bring this kid to his true potential. You are a joke on the global scene and clearly overvalue your own talent significantly if your public statements are simply that has has potential.

    The kid is a SIXTEEN YEAR OLD defender and they’re dropping more than six figure offers on him. For a defender for heaven’s sake.

    Don’t kill his career over some misplaced and incorrect feeling of position.

    Reply
    • American soccer fans should be taking real offense to this comment. what??? sporting kc is MLS champions. this is not chivas USA. I don’t know what kind of response you think you are giving depardoo, but F that.

      Reply
      • I don’t always say this, Dikran, but you are spot on.

        I’ll take it one step further. Unless I am way off base, it is folks like Gerard who are holding back the potential of soccer in this country. I say this because I spent years actually in the trenches selling soccer tickets in this country, and I would be willing to bet that Gerard has never invested in season tickets to his local MLS team, much less MLS gear or a viewing packages.

        You complain that Sporting KC doesn’t have the resources or talent to properly bring this kid along? If that’s true, then it’s because entirely too many guys like you (who live in that market) haven’t provided them with the resources.

        Furthermore, the day that teams in MLS start acting selfishly about winning as opposed to turning a quick buck is the day the league gets legitimate. The day an MLS team will do whatever it takes to win is the day more money gets spent on coaching staff and youth development. If you think these things are bad for the US National Team you are simply not taking the long view.

      • +2

        Good on Vermes and KC. Having a spine. He sounds like a European manager would sound about: A.) trying to hold onto a player he likes, and B.) drving for top dollar if he has to sell. This is MLS competing globally.

      • I would add, also, that the day that the MLS starts holding onto talent, instead of taking the first offer that comes along, is the day that MLS talent starts to demand a higher price.

      • Chivas probably has a better youth set-up than KC. I say this based on the fact that the Galaxy keep raiding CHivas for homegrown talent.

      • Agreed, I’d take him developing in MLS then languishing on some far away bench any day of the week and twice today.

    • Meh yes and no. It is like $1 mil plus on a 16 year old. And it is an Italian team. They do defense.

      MLS fans and USMNT fans can’t always align their interests. I guess I know which one Gerard falls under. He could be a bit more kind about it though.

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      • You have to be careful here. Juventus isn’t exactly a team that has stacked its defense with players from its academy. Erik Palmer-Brown is no guarantee to succeed there, and because a kid can get lost in an academy that big, his growth could be stunted there.

        The lower leagues of England are stocked full of former Arsenal and Man United players, and it wouldn’t surprise me if former Juve trainees are doing the same in Italy.

        Erik Palmer-Brown’s chances of making it to a UEFA CL club are much better if plays for Juve than SKC, because he will be visible in Europe at a much younger age. That said, if SKC put effort into making sure he gets playing time at the highest level he’s able to play, he might end up being more successful having stayed a few more years in the states.

      • Of the 13 defenders on the books for Juventus, including the guys they have out on loan, only TWO came through their youth set up… and they are both outside backs.

    • ARE YOU SERIOUS DUDE. Yes Sporting KC isnt Juve but because of Sporting KC, Brown is being pursued by Juve. Again Sporting KC made this kid since he was 11 to say they dont have the “resources’ is ignorant and plain stupid.

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    • I enjoy the fact that this “clownish” AMERICAN behavior by SKC “infuriates” you. Awww, your poor widdle Eurosnob feelings are hurt because America dares to snub Europe and tries developing world class talent itself.

      In America, if we are not currently the best at something, we DARE to be the best at it. And a lot of the time, we succeed. We don’t care how we are perceived by anyone else when we try.

      What is really a “joke on the global scene” and “clearly overvalued”, is your Eurosnob world view that believes all of America should gladly bend over to every Euro desire – and to never challenge the Eurosnob’s psychological need for permanent superiority in all aspects of this sport.

      SKC will keep and develop their SOCCER player if they want.

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      • “SKC will keep and develop their SOCCER player if they want.”

        How long is Palmer-Brown contractually obligated to SKC?

        At some point along the way his opinion will have some relevancy here.

      • The problem is that some young players will start to refuse to sign with MLS if they feel that they will be held back from going to Europe.

      • Valid concern in general, but SKC in particular will not hold people back that truly want to go to Europe, and in fact SKC encourages and facilitates players that SKC developed to pursue their dreams of playing there if that is what they want.

        See Kei Kamara and Roger Espinoza as recent examples.

        SKC’s stated philosophy is that SKC’s incoming talent pipeline will be stronger if SKC is known as developing/facilitating talent to go to Europe BUT, SKC can and should also sell themselves/MLS to players as an attractive (temporary or permanent) destination in and of itself. That is what being “major league” and “competitive with the best leagues by 2020” is all about.

        If Erik truly wanted to go to Europe, SKC would let him, but only at a fair price. And if Erik is indifferent or prefers the US (with Erik being a KC native this should not be a surprise), SKC is right to not let him go no matter the price.

    • I can’t believe the team developed the Matt Besler can’t develolpe Erik Palme-Brown. SKC only got Besler when he came from college.
      If Matt Besler stands out at the world cup I think having Palmer-Brown increases the likelihood they’d sell Besler.

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    • A lot of National team players in Europe have came back to the states because they felt undervalued in their European clubs So from all that I thought by now you’d have realized its better to stay where they appreciate you. For example a club thats looked out for you since you were 11 years old.

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    • Gerard D.

      I’m so sick of this tired old Euro-centric trope. Juventus has been around for decades longer than MLS–of course they’re going to have a more impressive CV when it comes to player development, but that doesn’t at all mean it’s better for him. It’s 2014! You don’t need a European passport to learn the international game. This is how MLS makes the next step to a top world league: by retaining talent and implementing new systems. Caleb Porter is an excellent example of this–and to me, that’s the future of the American game.

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    • The same club you diminish has been developing him since age 11 and that seems to be good enough for Juve to come calling wallet in hand.

      You do realize they are in negotiations and his comments are for public and Juve’s consumption? If you read between the lines of those quotes, he’s basically saying….. we don’t need to sell, we don’t want to sell… you haven’t reached the dollar amount at which we’d consider selling…. yet. Seems like better business to me than what you seem to insinuate they do…. fold at the first offer at the sheer honor of a great club dealing with a “joke on the global scene”. A bit of ambition goes a long way in getting somewhere in the world rather than cowering in the corner because that is your set station in life. Very Old World of you.

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      • Absolutely… SKC may sell, but since he would likely not leave the US for a year (at least for full-time), the deal has to make sense and we don’t really know what was offered in transfer fees as well as any follow-on revenue. And the kid may not be ready to make the move anyway.

    • Dude…….he can’t leave til he’s 18…….if they “sell” him it’s a 2 year pre-sign…….Juve loans him back to Kansas City…….he plays there anyway. So……KC won’t sell him now for an OK but not amazing transfer……because they know he’d be playing there anyway…….so they gamble he is worth more in 2 years…….that type of “potential.”

      Unless he has EU citizenship he is going nowhere until 18. He can pull a Gyau or Renken but they got loaned back to Vancouver for all the good signing with Hoffenheim did them.

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    • That about sums up the insecure US soccer fan….it doesn’t matter where or the specifics, but he is probably better of lf somewhere else.

      LOL.

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      • yea, argentine and brazilian clubs would do the same thing. the best academies are in europe, that’s just a fact and not an american insecurity. messi moved to spain when he was 11, for a reason. that doesn’t mean that argentine clubs can’t produce their own talent, but the best young talent gets scouted by european clubs and the fact that this kid is on juve’s radar actually says a heck of a lot about the kansas city academy

      • Messi moved to Barca because they promised to continue his hgh treatments, Newell Young Boys could no longer afford them and other teams in Argentina were unwilling to pay for them

      • Let me get this straight- his relatively large Argentine club couldn’t afford a relatively unexpensive drug. And he ended up smaller than horse jockey? Sounds plausible to me.

      • ? South America sells players because they need money!!!

        And Do you really think SA’s believe Europe produces better players then them? Maybe if they are going to Barca.

    • How many prospects that have left at 16 or younger ever amounted to anything? How are Gyau, Renken, Agbossoumonde, Lletget, Rodriguez or Jerome doing? How many that have gone to mexico and never emerged (Mexico’s youth system is so overrated just look at Joya, Ocegueda, Cuevas, Guido, and the almost zero contribution mexican groomed players have had on the USMNT)? Juventus haven’t developed many players that are on their first team.

      The training these players get in the USSF academy and other top amateur clubs are so incredibly underrated its sad. Being privy to the Academy training and some other european regiments there wasn’t much of a difference. Even players are starting to realize this and staying close to home instead of jumping at the first Euro team that comes calling (Mendiola for example).

      Id rather have elite prospects get their feet wet in MLS and jump to the highest level when they mature more at 18, 19 or 20. This seems to have the highest % of relative success (Bradley, Jozy, Agudelo, Gil, Yedlin, McInerney)

      Reply
      • Well gyau and lletget are still pretty young so i wouldnt really call them failures at the moment. And i wouldnt really say the mexican youth is overrated, i mean joya and cuevas were two of our best playersduring u20 qualification and the world cup, they are both young amd it is understandable if they couldnt see playing time with a stacked Santos team

      • To each their own I guess. I still have hope for Gyau and Lletget but anybody saying going to Europe gave them something better than what was available here is crazy.

        Joya and Cuevas looked decent but IMO not enough to warrant the hype they got. Gil looked a class above them all

    • No, they shouldn’t, at least not yet. He can’t actually go until he’s 18 and if he’s what he’s cracked up to be then he might be worth more at 18 (“potential with the club”) than now. You sell now you sell at the prospect price. You sell once he’s startiing to produce maybe it’s for Jozy Money aka $10 million.

      Reply

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