Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
After weeks of wrangling, Jermaine Jones has finally signed with Major League Soccer.
The U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder has signed with the league and will join the New England Revolution for the rest of the season. Jones has signed a Designated Player deal and was allocated to the Revolution over the Chicago Fire via a blind draw announced at halftime of the Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders game.
According to a report in Goal USA, the Revolution will pay Jones $4.5 million in total over the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and have a club option for 2016.
“I’m very excited to come to MLS and join the Revolution,” Jones said in a statement. “New England is an exciting team on the rise, and I believe I can come in and help the team make a push toward MLS Cup. Playing with the U.S. National Team has given me a great connection with the American fans and I’m looking forward to playing in front of them every weekend. I’m ready to get started with the Revs.”
In the Revolution’s press release, the league explained how Jones ended up with the Revolution.
“As a designated player of a certain threshold, Jones was not subject to allocation ranking for dispersal to an MLS team,” the statement read. “The Revolution and Chicago Fire expressed an interest in Jones, and had the available salary budget and a designated player slot to accommodate him. Following a blind draw between the two clubs, Jones was assigned to the Revolution.”
Jones has been a free agent since July 1, after his contract with Schalke 04 expired. Jones most recently played for Besiktas on loan. Jones starred with the USMNT at the 2014 World Cup, playing in all four games and scoring a magnificent goal against Portugal.
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What do you think of this news? Surprised to see Jones move to New England? How do you see Jones fitting into the Revolution’s lineup?
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