By IVES GALARCEP
When Matt Besler signed his new Designated Player contract with Sporting Kansas City earlier this month, the common belief was that the new deal meant he would finish out his career with the reigning MLS Cup champions.
While that may still wind up being the case, Besler hasn’t completely closed the door on one day playing overseas.
“Right now, I’m very happy, but never say never because you never know what’s going to happen a year down the road, two years down the road,” Besler told Goal.com after being named to the Goal 50, which honors the world’s best 50 players from the previous year.
Besler also would not rule out a loan stint in the winter, though loan deals for defenders are usually a tougher proposition than for attackers.
“It’s tricky with the loan move. I would say I’m open to it, but it would have to be the right situation. Who knows what’s going to happen?” Besler told Goal.com. “If Jurgen is looking for guys to go play in the offseason on loan deals, then that’s something I’m going to have to look in to. If he wants guys to take their four or five weeks off and join up for January, then that’s what I’ll look to try to do. It’s hard to say right now what the future holds.”
Could Besler really still make a move abroad? Sporting KC is a club known for being open to selling player, having sold the likes of Kei Kamara and Uri Rosell in the past year, but given Besler’s importance to Sporting KC, and his age (27), it seems unlikely that the kind offer it would take to buy him would be coming any time soon.
Besler was named to the Goal 50 after an impressive year that saw him help the U.S. qualify for the World Cup, lead Sporting KC to an MLS Cup title, then lead the U.S. defense on a World Cup run to the Round of 16.
What do you think about Besler going overseas one day? Still hoping he has a chance to play in Europe? Think he’ll stay in MLS for his entire career?
Share your thoughts below.