On the field come Sunday, all eyes will be on the MLS Cup between the Columbus Crew and the Portland Timbers.
Off the field, though, all eyes apparently will be on Don Garber as he is set to introduce a major addition to the league.
According to La Afición, the MLS commissioner is expected to introduce the signing of Carlos Vela. The Mexican international is expected to earn $8 million per season, according to the report, and begin play in the league next March.
This development comes on the heels of Vela’s agent, Eduardo Hernandez, saying that a move to MLS may not be in the “immediate” future of the 27-year-old El Tri winger. Hernandez will reportedly head to Columbus this weekend to finalize a deal that would see Vela move from Real Sociedad to MLS.
Colorado Rapids sporting director Claudio Lopez apparently already expressed his interest in acquiring the talents of Vela. The Rapids have discovery rights to Vela, so they would have first crack at signing him.
However, La Afición states that the San Jose Earthquakes, the New York Red Bulls and the Chicago Fire are all in the running to add Vela. He is reported to be leaning towards joining the Fire.
What do you think of this development? If he does move to MLS, which team will Vela play for?
Share your thoughts below.
this is about tapping into the mexican market dos santos shows up in LA and overnight the club is relevant again in that community, Same will happen to other MLS clubs the mexican national team stars. the Market is huge if MLS were to finally tap into it and make those people fans then its a huge win. Univisions marketing power and sponserships will alone payoff the cost of vela showing up, Same would happen which Javier Hernandez or any relevant Mexican National team star. If MLS can get this market covered the ratings for games would double, MLS would be relevant and can then move on to winning over the euro only soccer fans which its also slowly doing with the european signings
I think the objectives to be a top league by the 2020’s is going to pan out.
Has been
Bring more Mexican Internationals to MLS! Looks what it’s done to help the USMNT!
I kid, I kid.. sort of. Would be good to see this move, although that salary is a bit much. Interesting point about the buy back, not a buy back mentioned above if he goes to the rapids.
As a psuedo Quakes fan until Sacramento is let in, I’d be happy to see him in SJ.
Is Chicago Fire Bridgeview is on the City Limits
I can see the unibrow Tifos now.
talented player but I have my doubts that Pablo Mastroeni or the new Fire coach will have the ability to motivate him or get him to be a good part of a winning team. defiantly a marketing move more than a sporting move, but hey those teams desperately need difference makers.
“He is reported to be leaning towards joining the Fire” – apparently he hates winning. Whatever, just keep him far away from RBNY. No need for a Marquez redux.
I’m already looking forward to his arrival. New York will gt him, unless he seriously would prefer Chicago. If the Fire get him, they will finish top three in the east, barring injuries and other stupid stuff. If NYRB gets him, sheeeeeeeeesh. I don’t want to think about it…
I wonder how long mls fans will chase their tails after all these #bushleaguemls generated rumors of players coming to the McWendys single entity?
.
Ooh, just heard a report Methuselah was coming to a McWendys near you – this one actually seems plausible.
true!!
its desperation.. there is 0 reasons for Coloradans to buy tickets to Rapids games anymore (same goes for Chicago). So their owners are finally looking to spend big (ridiculously overpaying) for a guy they know will sell jerseys and tickets. meanwhile they are failing at actually building a team. it all comes down to selling soccer related entertainment.
The owners know that they’ll re-coop there investment in a year! in one year! Ticket sales, sponsorship, Jerseys, etc… win, win for all of us! Plus the young MLS lads get so motivated to some day be like them… that MLS soccer’s quality and level is growing exponentially! soon it will be the 3rd Best league in the world… I CALLED IT!
NY, maybe. Chicago, absolutely not. The only people buying Vela Chicago jerseys would be people in third world countries after they’re shipped there when he leaves to go back to Mexico. Chicago is a terrible market; bad stadium location, disinterested, cheap ownership. mediocre fan base, mediocre performance…
Not sure how much weight should be placed on that report. I mean it doesn’t even mention Colorado as a possibility or the discovery rights aspect.
I can see this turning out much more Marquez than Blanco.
This is ridiculous if MLS paid 16million. I TRULY hope they didn’t. I also don’t think he is worth 8 million/year. I am all for it if you pay 8 million fees and he earns 5 million a year. I like the city of Chicago, but Fire are a mess and I would not wish that on anyone. I hope it’s NYRB. I am not a fan, but with Vela, they would be favorites to win the East next (and possibly the MLS Cup).
If Bradley is worth 6 and Altidore 5 then Vela is absolutely worth 8. He’s a much better player with as much, if not more, fan recognition.
the thing is Vela just came back from a knee injury and hasn’t been the same since then, also he is not even close to being popular among mexican fans, if anything he is one of the most hated players in the mexican NT, another point is that he has made it clear he is considering a move to MLS because he doesn’t want to “try hard” anymore and is thinking about it as early retirement which is the thing he wants the most as he hates being a soccer player. As Reid said, he would be another Marquez.
If Colorado would get the rights to buy (on behalf, or with the, MLS) Vela from Real Sociedad, Stan Kroenke would be buying the same player he sold a few years ago for roughly double the price.
I’ve seen you type this multiple times and it still means very little.
Barcelona, for instance, often has buy-back clauses within players they sell. Often those buy-back fees are well over double the price of the sale for that player. If the value is there, and Vela within MLS would be a coup, then it’s money well spent both on and off the pitch.
Vela WANTING to Denver is the more perplexing aspect of this story.
Isn’t the Fire in Chicago?
Would not be a buyback.
Yes, bottlecaps. I’m aware this isn’t a buy-back. I’m providing a comparison to a business deal within the soccer realm you’re proclaiming doesn’t make sense.
@Miler
Story has been updated since I posted. The discussion and story for the past several weeks has been centered around Colorado.
To answer your question: No, the Fire are not in Chicago – they’re in Bridgeview. The distinction is worth noting because everything about the Fire is a horrible experience for Chicago residents.
Vela, Accam, Gilberto, and Shipp, would be one hell of an attacking quartet