By MATT STYPULKOSKI
Manchester United player Javier Hernandez is currently warming the bench while on loan at Real Madrid, but reports involving an MLS move may have jumped the gun.
The future of the Mexican forward is very much up in the air as it is unlikely he will steal a place in the Man United starting XI after he returns from Spain. The Daily Mail reported on Monday that Orlando City SC was hot on the tail of Chicharito but general manager Paul McDonagh said today that the club is not actively pursuing the striker.
McDonagh said that if a player like Chicharito is interested in Orlando City SC, the club would obviously be interested in engaging in negotiations with the player. As of yet, there has been no contact between the two parties.
Here are some more MLS news items to catch you up on happenings around the league:
YALLOP EXPECTING BIG CHASE FOR SEAN JOHNSON
Chicago Fire head coach Frank Yallop expects the club to receive imminent bids for highly-rated goalkeeper Sean Johnson, and he has stated that if the goalkeeper does decide to leave, the club will be prepared.
Yallop told reporters on his weekly conference call that, while he’s not actively pursuing a sale for the young keeper, he knows it’s a possibility that Johnson makes a move abroad at some point. There are supposedly a number of clubs who have already inquired about the services of Johnson.
“We talked in preseason, and at the end of the (2014) season, that he’d love to play in the Premier League,” Yallop told reporters. “Maybe not right away, but in the end he wouldn’t mind trying to do that if he’s good enough, and someone sees him to be good enough.”
“It’s up to someone else to come to us with a bid,” he added. “Nobody’s done that as of yet, and I’m not really out there trying to sell him. If something comes along then we’ll deal with it, if not, we’ll just get on with what we’re doing.”
NO PUYOL OFFER FROM RAPIDS
Rumor has it that Barcelona legend Carles Puyol could be headed to MLS, but at least one of his potential landing spots has already been debunked.
Spanish paper Sport reported Sunday that the former Barcelona man had received a “big offer” from the Rapids, but The Denver Post rebuffed that rumor on Tuesday.
After leaving the Catalan club, the 37-year-old was linked to a front-office position at New York City FC as Ferran Soriano, the CEO of Manchester City responsible for overseeing NYCFC, was formerly at Barcelona.
Spanish daily publication, Mundo Deportivo, claimed that Puyol could end up in New York, but didn’t not specify which club. The defender has also been linked with a move to Qatar.
Both New York teams have Designated Player slots available if that route was chosen by Puyol.
CREW BRACING FOR UNPRECEDENTED ROAD TRIP
Gregg Berhalter and his players are about to rack up the frequent-flyer miles.
The Columbus Crew begin an unprecedented road swing on Wednesday night with a match in Vancouver against the Whitecaps. Just three days later, the Crew will be on the opposite coast for a clash with the New England Revolution.
The Crew’s players are none too happy with their itinerary, especially considering the club’s recent schedule quirks. The team has already had two byes over the season’s first five weeks. That lack of action, coupled with playing during the international break, has only added to the Crew’s frustration.
To cope with this week’s quick turnaround, Berhalter will leave some of his players – those selected for the Revolution match, but not the game against the Whitecaps – in Columbus during the Vancouver trip. That group will then meet the team in Massachussetts for Saturday’s match to provide reinforcement.
VAN DER VAART TRANSFER TO SPORTING KANSAS CITY QUASHED
Last week, Hamburg attacking midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart sparked rumors of him moving to MLS in the near future when he said he could see himself playing across the Atlantic soon.
The Dutchman is in the final six months of his contract with the Bundesliga outfit, and Sporting Kansas City was reported to be in lengthy talks with the Dutchman over a potential move.
However, money is the primary sticking point of the negotiations and it seems that negotiations have broken down over Van der Vaart’s wage request.
“It wouldn’t make sense for us,” head coach Peter Vermes told the Kansas City Star. “No disrespect to him, but it doesn’t make sense for the kind of numbers we’re talking.”
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Do you think a move to MLS would suit Chicharito? Could Sean Johnson make a move to Europe in the summer? Do you think Carles Puyol will join up with former teammate David Villa at NYCFC?
Share your thoughts below.
Wooooop! beautiful.I love sport.
C’mon MLS,chicharito is delusional. Go get him.
He thinks he can play at a top European team but he can’t. He got lucky with Manu and he thinks he can play with Real Madrid.
If MLS gives him a Beckham contract,and sends him to LA or NY, he would be totally happy.
According to some reports, he has a spaniard girlfriend and wants to stay in Europe but money talks.
MLS needs him and if they get him, I personally think he would be bigger than Beckham.
I still don’t get where the whole “Chicharito si deluded” thing comes from, he played under Fergie for three seasons who actually had some faith in him and he accepted his role as a super sub, when Moyes came Hernandez wanted to leave but he blocked him, then when Van Gaal told him he could leave Real Madrid went for him and he said himself that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity so he couldn’t say no, is not like if he has moved from team to team for years demanding to start for every top club in the world.
Not as deluded as Cosmos fans. He’s shown he can score bunches in The EPL and scored in La Liga when given playing time. If he was American people would be crazy about him.
Actually Javier was about to quit soccer in Mexico, but he then got lucky and was promoted to the A-team of chivas.
He then got in a scoring streak and some ManU front office people where in Mexico and then got a word of chicharito and then he got signed and taken to Manchester.
He really got lucky and everything went his way with ferguson.
Just incase you guys don’t know, there is better forwards than Javier in Mexico but their agents don’t let them go to Europe due contract issues and money.
Agents in Mexico are rats, they could have like 50 players in Europe but those mexican agents are rats.
Ask any top mexican player, they hate how the agents rule everything down there.
If MLS had a higher salary cap, they would be playing in MLS but ligaMX pays too good.
No sure what’s worse …having an entire league front office control your fate or an “evil” sport agent…at least the average LigaMX player is paid better than the average MLS guy.
We are not actively chasing Neymar not CR7. Just throwing it out there.
When it comes to signing Mexican nationals, the two teams in Texas have just as good chance of landing them as NY or LA.
While most euro imports can’t name any cities outside of what they’ve seen on TV shows and movies (la and ny). Mexicans have heard of Dallas and Houston.
It will come down to the best business decision. Texas has no state tax and large Mexican population that would lead to multiple endorsement deals.
Chicharito would raise TV ratings? sell jerseys? increase gates around MLS cities?
I rather someone else for Orlando but Chicharito far better choice as a DP than any Fire’s forwards.
I love the word games MLS teams recently have been playing with the media so it looks like they weren’t rejected. “Not actively pursuing” – translation, “We’re interested, he’s not.” Similar answer that NYCFC gave about Xavi.
How would you know ? If Chicharito is asking for $10 million, I would be in the “not actively pursuing” camp, as would any GM in the league. Somewhere between there and zero, Orlando gets interested and at some other point down, Chicharito loses interest.
Seems like you just want to troll the league.
Either way, it’s either he’s not interested or the team can’t afford him. No one wants to advertise either one, so it’s just easier to say “not actively pursuing”. Pretty typical PR talk.
Typical Fire news: instead of talking about who we could pick up in the transfer market, our coach is talking about the club possibly selling one its better players.
Yeah, I don’t know what the Fire are thinking, they look terrible, but they have 2 wins, Shipp and a great keeper. Figure out a way to get in the playoffs, not a way to finish last.
Chicharito would come to MLS but not Orlando. He would be a mexican Beckham signing for the league and Javier would love LA or NY and maybe Chicago and Seattle, and of course the big money.
If I was chicharito I would come to MLS, screw Europe. He would be a mexican Beckham signing 🙂
Too bad galaxy have no DP spots or Seattle, but nycfc does 😉
One of the most overrated players in world football.
Overrated would imply he is expensive. For what United bought him for and what he does, I think he is value. A Moneyball signing.
He’s a hell of a player and a class act. He may not be at the same level as Villa but he’d be a great signing for MLS.
+1
He ain’t no Altidore. Not even close.