Premier League side West Ham United have reportedly seen their first bid for Aaron Long
Sky Sports reported Sunday that the Hammers bid $500,000 to acquire Long on-loan for the remainder of the EPL side. In addition, West Ham also big $4.5 million to acquire Long permanently from the Red Bulls at the conclusion of the season.
Long was linked with a move to the Hammers in the summer of 2019, but could not acquire a work permit.
Since breaking into the Red Bulls’ first team in 2017, the 27-year-old has become one of the top center backs in MLS. He’s totaled 97 appearances for the Red Bulls in league play, scoring six goals and adding four assists.
After winning the 2018 MLS Defender of the Year award, Long has become one of Gregg Berhalter’s regular choices in the USMNT backline. After making his senior debut back in 2018, Long has earned 16 caps for the USMNT scoring three goals last year.
He scored twice against Trinidad & Tobago in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage, before once again scoring in the USMNT’s 4-1 Concacaf Nations League win over Canada in November.
Long has also been linked with fellow EPL side Southampton and Ligue 1 side Marseille in the past.
The January Transfer Window officially closes on Jan. 31st for all of Europe’s top five leagues.
The bid is only for $500,000. There’s an option for $4.5m after, but the bid right now is for only $500,000. It’s a bad deal for RB to make. If it was for the full $5mil RB would probably do it.
RB won’t sell because there aren’t competent people in the front office that can scout and sign someone better.
Offer seems low. Red Bull are not afraid to sell, just want the right value, they don’t need to sell since they received an offer. Just like Sporting have not agreed to the 40m that Manchester United offered for Bruno Fernandes. Red Bull sold Matt Miazga for 4.6m (a prospect for Chelsea) and Tim Ream for 3.1m as a starter for Bolton 7 years ago. In today’s market they think they should get more for Long who is not a prospect but a player that should be in his prime for the next 3 seasons. Long is their top defender and MLS all star / US international. They value him much higher that the current offer.
They also sold Adams for 3 million. Long at 27 has no sell on value. West Ham is highly unlikely to sell him to another club for more money at his age. Miazga and even Ream were younger.
Sell him. Think about his future. Let him play at the highest level and replace him; it shouldn’t be that hard to do…
2nd paragraph should read “bid” not “big”
I would say that that offer is low. Consider that his fellow CBs are Matt Miazga and John Brooks are rated at $5 Million and $20 Million respectively. Long is preferred over Miazga but he is not at the level of Brooks. I would suggest that $6 to 8 Million would be the right ballpark for a transfer.
Miazga was much younger when he was sold and thus had resale value, Long does not have that at his age. Brooks has been a Bundesliga starter for 5 years when he was sold. Clubs look at more than your pecking order with your national team.
MLS just isn’t a sellers league.
I don’t think it ever will be.
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There are so few teams in this catagory world wide.
So let me quote the MLS haters
…The rest of the world doesn’t do it like this.
Not sure your point here. Most teams around the world would totally sell him. It’s a fair price, he seemingly wants to move, beginning of the season in a league were regular season means little. Why on earth wouldn’t you sell him? Guess what happens if RBNY try’s to sign a young player with Euro dreams? That player isn’t going to be very motivated to sign. RBNY has a good Academy as well if I’m 16 or 17 I’m not signing a pro deal because they aren’t going to sell me on.
RE: NYRB and youth developement – Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard, Tim Ream, Juan Aguadelo, Michael Bradley may disagree…also Arron Long is not young. The pattern for MLS is to sell the youth and demand market value for developed players. That being said and I’m not an expert on market value, this seems like a decent offer…
My point IS…..MLS is not a sellers league.
The NYRBs are trying to win a championship, not just make money.
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You can think that is dumb of MLS teams. IF that is what you are saying thanks for the opinion.
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Masters of the Obvious.
Let me know how much money MLS teams spent to buy and sell went last year. last decade.
I didn’t say it NEVER sells. I am not even saying Long will be here at the start of the season. What I am saying is, it is NOT a sellers league. As many have stated, other teams around the world have sold in similar situations. The Red Bulls need to win here.
this didnt go thru earlier..I will sumarize
JohnnyR
I am saying MLS is not a sellers league. I just stated it.
Others posted other examples around the world, I dont think it is relevant.
Masters
Let me know the numbers of dollar spend buying and selling last year….last decade.
not saying they wont sell Long..no clue overall it is a buyers league. Not even close. Weird you forgot they bot back Altidore and Bradley after more money came into the league? THEY DID Toronto made 3 finals with them.
If MLS ever wants to be a top league in the world it must first become a sellers league. It is the key to building successful academy systems, those academies build depth and competition within first teams, thus pushing starters to develop to their potential, and of course then earning big money deals from Europe. Make me an offer I can’t refuse money. —————————
Are the Red Bull’s really trying to win a championship? Cut their starting GK and all-time CF and have signed who? In three years they’ve had one big signing Kaku. If you think their trying to win not make money your fooling yourself.
Spot on Johnny. As well….. it doesn’t serve winning in keeping a player in the dressing room that clearly wants to move on. Heard plenty of talk Long wasn’t happy last year. Also makes it harder to bring in young talented players if they have the perception they’ll get stuck there. The best hope for the league is teams like ATL that seem to kind of getit. Hopefully this is part of the bargaining process and they can find a way to get it done.
Red Bull Salzburg will sell Haaland despite being in first place and in Europa League knockouts but RBNY turns down 4.5 million for a 27 year old CB. Of course MLS rules pretty much prohibit RBs from replacing him with anyone of similar quality since Long was not a DP.
Yup
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So many people say when MLS becomes a farm system for Europe we will have made it.
I couldn’t disagree more.
So, the SBI article is a little misleading. It is not a $4.5 million bid to buy Long. It is a $500,000 bid to loan him until the end of the EPL season, at which point West Ham has the option of buying Long for $4.5 million. RBNY didn’t turn down a $4.5 million bid; they turned down the possibility of $4.5 million if West Ham likes Long after having him on loan for 4 months. If West Ham doesn’t like him, or for whatever reason decides that they don’t want to buy him, they can send him back in June.
Re: Haaland, didn’t he have a fairly low release clause? I think Salsburg had to sell him.
Actually not too bad bid.
Maybe for $5million