By MIKE GRAMAJOÂ
ORLANDO, Fla. — There have been weeks of rumors regarding Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez’, but Orlando City majority owner Flavio Augusto da Silva officially confirmed interest in the Mexican international striker at last on Saturday.
“We are in the beginning of the conversation,” da Silva told reporters. “The less we talk about this situation, it’s better because we’re in the middle of negotiations. We’ll be ready in one or two weeks to talk about Chicharito in a different way.”
Hernandez, who is currently healing from a fractured collarbone sustained with the Mexican national team during a pre-Gold Cup tune-up, played the last European season on loan at Real Madrid.
Hernandez was recently in Orlando during an international friendly on June 27 between Mexico and Costa Rica. The wanted striker ended up scoring the game-tying goal in El Tri’s 2-2 draw in front of 53,623 fans at the Citrus Bowl.
According to a report from Mediotiempo, Orlando City is willing to pay the striker $10 million for one year, which would make him the highest paid player in MLS.
“We’ve been talk to many other players,” da Silva added on the club’s activity in the summer transfer window. “Chicharito would bring to us not only a good player but a guy who’s connected to a Mexican community. There are a lot of clubs working to that, MLS is interested to that [Chicharito]. The less we talk is better for us.”
What do you think about Orlando City wanting to sign Chicharito? How big of a coup would it be – on and off the field – for the club if it lands him? Would Kaka and Hernandez make up the most lethal scoring duo in MLS?
Share your thoughts below.
@ todd k what’s your point? last I checked, NE, Orlando, Vancouver, Portland, Toronto and Seattle play on turf (Atlanta and Minnesota ???), NYCFC plays on a miniature pitch inside of a baseball stadium where many of the fans sit half-a-mile from the pitch while others sit atop a 10 foot wall,while the RedBulls are comprised of a bunch of European washouts including the league’s leading scorer whose previous career highlight was scoring 22 goals in the English Third Division. The arrogance of certain MLS fans never ceases to amaze me, do you ever actually watch the product on the field? people in glass houses…
So he would only come for a year? Then sold to another team?
MLS would be an amazing league if all mls teams used their money on good DPs.
Most of all mls markets are very nice and
Tempting but the owners suck.
I can’t think of a bad city to live in, from an mls market. Denver has nice weather, Columbus u have the ohio state ambient, Houston a huge city.
Yeah I saw that detail too about the 1 year deal. Most likely they aren’t going to pay a transfer fee and just ask for a loan deal where they can only afford his (1 year) salary.
I would offer Zlatan $10 Million than Chicarito for a loan deal. Zlatan is making 12-13 Million after tax; his teams have always paid his taxes. Ha, must be nice.
Oh how the tides have turned. If MLS signs chicharito is the beginning of the take over of Soccer in the Americas by MLS. There will be no other premier soccer league in the americas that can compete. This move will open the doors for so many other prospects from all over the world to choose MLS. Regardless of how you feel about chicharito he is well known and good player, and there are many like him that played along side of him that will look at MLS as a top 5 league in the world to play in. As a galaxy fan im honored to be a part of a team that trailblazes but thats just California for you. Trendsetters, innovators, forward thinkers. Cristiano is next for LA, how you may ask? Herbalife is his sponsor, the connection is there. MLS FTW
MLS will blow up after the next TV contract. That’s the time at which it will put up a Monroe Doctrine-like fence around talent from the Western Hemisphere.
While I am up for the MLS growing, I think you are failing to realize a few things.
– The key revenue source is television dollars, then merchandising (to an extent) not attendance. Liga MX numbers in Mexico are ridiculously high. Liga MX television ratings in their secondary market (USA) are still 3x’s …THREE TIMES MLS numbers in the USA. While MLS is averaging about 320,000 viewers/game in the US, Liga MX is averaging about 1,000,000 a game IN THE US — THIS SEASON. This is also MLS’s best season. This IS NOT Liga MX’s biggest market; THIS IS MLS’s biggest market. MLS does not make enough money for everyone to pay a Chicharito.
– The key is improving the quality of the 5-7 non-stars on in your starting 11 and the depth. MLS does not make nearly enough to compete with Liga MX on that scale. Liga usually does not pay their best players more than 3/4 million a year, but they definitely have the funds to do so, and US cannot compete if they do. If Liga MX is smart, they will become the go to league before MLS does, and make US have to fight to be come that. I like it because a Liga MX – MLS battle could be something to behold in soccer over the next 20 years. Liga MX has th funds and fan base and MLS has the potential.
Kaka is pretty devout, I’ve heard. And I recall seeing Chich kneeling in prayer midfield pre-game at ManU. Just work that angle and the lord just may unite the city of Orlando!
Waiting a year or 2 is sensible talk to me. But i guess since i’m not the one spending the money, i think i’m hoping that orlando will be bullish, bring him in now for 10 million, and let the market adjust to them.
Think it would be a coup if he came to the league for popularity/jerseys/Hispanic interest, but if his asking price is too high then we can wait a year or 2 and then he would come over then probably anyway – with his top euro league opportunities diminishing – wonder when his contract is up?
An nasl fan commenting on this is a joke, they were 0-7 vs the USL, they wish they could even consider the players of the caliber MLS is bringing in (and will continue to do so more in the future).
The cosmos play on a turf lacrosse field on long island and think they are MLS material b/c they have 3 guys that are over the hill/rejects but played in the league years ago – come on now!
To NASL_Fan…our bad maybe we should go for someone who couldn’t cut it in the Finnish 2nd division
Wow wow wow… slow down MLS… No way he’s going to MLS!
It sounds like da silva is saying, “our latest market research shows that every hispanic resident in orlando will spend money on tickets and merchandise if chicharito signs, and the money we will make will be mind blowing, and the less we talk about that, the better.” Doesn’t it?
dude is only worth $1 Million…it’s all about hype, like jozy Antiscore.
Value is determined by the free market.
Never underestimate what “hype” is worth. Orlando City put themselves in everybody’s head when they signed Kaka…getting Chicharito is an almost equal coup…and probably more in terms of the number of fans he’ll draw. Orlando City might well outgrow their brand-new digs (certainly for the big games) as soon as next year and have to play half their matches in the Citrus Bowl if the response is what it might be. They still have to win, mind you, but if they’re winning and Chicharito is scoring like crazy, the boom will be there. Even if he fizzles…well, in the long run, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
$10 million for Chicharron? Way too much money for a Real Madrid bench player.
So exactly how much should they pay a young forward who is entering his prime and has played at clubs like Chivas de Guadelajara / Man Utd. / Real Madrid?
not that much. i watch every man u game. he can score. no doubt about it. but oddly he’s not that prolific when he starts. only off the bench. i never understood that. 10 mil? most ever in history for a guy coming off a big injury, who’s never had 5 games in a row? no way. doesn’t mean he won’t still “score at will” but no way Keane is worth 4.5 and Chich is worth 10. wait…maybe they add up jersey sales – then maybe, but not on talent.
Jersey sales and butts in seats. And club stature.
Yeah, he’s worth $10 million. Easy. Just like Dos Santos is worth pretty close to that for LA Galaxy. I’ve been wondering what the heck MLS owners were waiting for…you would think buying top Mexican names would be a no-brainer, the support the Latin community has for soccer. They pack the house in International matches that cost ten times what the average MLS ticket costs.
Just a matter of time, given American financial muscle, that the top names in Mexico were going to be playing here. This is…overdue.
Of course it’s a no-brainer. Every MLS owner knows that. But the players have to prefer MLS over their other alternatives. THAT has always been the problem.
One thing that helps MLS is that CONCACAF players – not just USA players – seem to get short shrift in Europe. There just aren’t many Mexicans or Costa Ricans playing in Europe, and the few that do usually play exclusively in La Liga. Ruiz and Chicharito were the headliners for those nations and both “failed” in the EPL.
Mexican players were still mostly out of reach because Liga MX pays so much better than MLS does…but DP contracts can certainly change all that. We might not be able to outbid Europe, but Europe doesn’t usually come in with the megabucks for CONCACAF players anyhow.
Hernandez didn’t fail in the EPL
In response to Lu; Chicarito certainly hasn’t set the world on fire. Loaned out after part time play for Man Utd and limited playing time for Real Madrid. People say Tim Howard failed and he was the full time starter for Man Utd on a EPL winning team and in the Champs League.
Hernandez didn’t fail in the EPL. He just showed that may not be dynamic enough for top CL teams. Chicarito has interest from UEFA League/Europa League teams pushing teams. He scored 20 goals in his first season at Man Utd. I He almost scored 20 (18) in his 3rd or 4th year.
Preference is who pays the most. Red Bull will not pay the most.
Dos Santos is a joke as is Chicharito and the whole Mexican national team for that matter. When has Chich scored against the U.S.?
And every ten year old kid thinks Dos Santos is a girl when on the field. Mexico is so bad they even have Barney Rubble as their coach and can’t even defeat Guatemala. HHAAAA!!!!
I cannot even imagine the damage Chicharito could do at Orlando, with Kaka feeding him balls and a fast forward like Larin alongside him to draw the defense off him. Add the fact that nobody can stop Brek Shea from getting the edge and putting balls into the box at will, a super-poacher like Chicharito is going to score virtually at will.
Remind me again: what’s Orlando City’s capacity?
Chicha to to Red Bull is a joke. Those cheap bastards will not pay what he is looking for.
i think the kind of damage that Chich & Gio could do in MLS doesn’t to the field nor does it relate to attracting fans to MLS, rather the kind of damage they could do relates to raising the level of respect for Liga MX from MLSers, respect for MLS from Liga MXers, while causing SUM and MLS to figure out someway to intertwine both leagues. No, not the superliga revived, but maybe some extended play of MLS vs Liga Mx within CCL.