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Report: Bobby Wood weighing MLS opportunities

Bobby Wood is reportedly open to a move to MLS clubs, though the first one linked to a potential move for him is no longer in the mix.

After recently being linked with Eastern Conference club FC Cincinnati, Wood has reportedly turned down an offer to join the second-year MLS side. German outlet Bild claims Wood turned down the offer, but added that Wood’s representatives are weighing other possibilities in MLS.

Wood has struggled for playing time with German second-division side Hamburg this season, making just six appearances, with two of them being starts. The 27-year-old was not a part of Hamburg’s 18-man squad for Monday’s 3-1 league win over Bochum.

After making his debut in German Football back in 2010, Wood has bounced around between several clubs. After 17 goals in 31 appearances for Union Berlin in 2015-16, Wood joined Hamburg and totaled 12 goals in 50 Bundesliga appearances.

He’s also spent time with 1860 Munich, Hannover, and Erzgeburge Aue.

Wood’s international status has also taken a hit with his decrease of appearances abroad. He has earned 44 caps with the USMNT, but none since 2018 under then interim head coach Dave Sarachan.

FC Cincinnati finished last in MLS in its inaugural season, while also finishing last in the league with 31 goals scored, but has revamped its forward line with the signings of Japanese striker Yuya Kubo and recent loan acquisition of Jurgen Locadia. Wood could have helped provide even more depth, but now appears to be a missed target for the Ohio club.

Wood is in the final year of his current contract with Hamburg, and will be free to leave this summer. He could wait until then to make a move to MLS, but FC Cincinnati’s offer for him could complicate matters, and force any interested team to make a trade with Cincinnati to acquire his MLS rights.

Comments

  1. If I’m Wood I would turn down any MLS side unless its a giant market and they pay me $2 million minimum. He is better than the MLS and shouldn’t go back. God do I hate the MLS for good American players.

    Reply
      • I think a lot of it is his attitude. Can’t say how much he’s digressed from 2018 other than he isn’t playing any minutes. If he was starting and not scoring that’s one thing, but I imagine his attitude is a factor in this.

  2. Not really sure what Woods s thinking.
    He isn’t a starter on most ML S teams and is definitely bellows average forward here.
    Maybe he has one team he is targetting?

    Reply
    • Bobby’s got a year and half left on a guaranteed contract that pays him $2 million per year, and that jumps to $3 million if Hamburg gets promoted back to Bund.
      that’s probably what he’s thinking.

      Reply
    • Possibly…..or maybe Cincinnati signed someone else ( Jurgen Locadia ) today instead of Wood.
      .
      There is probably place for him in MLS, but like I was saying, I don’t really get him passing a situation like Cinci….doesn’t make sense. Unless he is thinking I really want to live in certain place.

      Reply
    • Wood scored on Mexico and a lot of other hex teams, and is a better forward than Zardes by far. He can score on San Jose and do fine. In fact given the fact he’s been shut out of the NT based on nothing but club form, this game of transfer chicken is crazy. If he’s stuck in Germany another half year he will most likely have no involvement in the LoN final four or early qualifiers. Also, whether he is better than Vela is besides the point if he is signing elsewhere. I though FC Cincy was low hanging fruit where he could establish his bona fides for GB. This is a more risky strategy that may eventually get him a better MLS home on paper, but leave him still sitting in club and in the NT wilderness. Is he just that greedy? His best move here is just get someplace and play.

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      • People are going to value players differently. I view him as better than Zardes, but not that much. You value him a lot. If what was written is correct on his salary. Obviously someone values him more than Zardes, who isn’t making that much.
        .
        My point IV is that IF he wants to come to MLS and he is passing on Cinci, that seems a little crazy. For what? Maybe he wants to live in Portland and they are looking at him. Other that individual situations like that. Many teams already have a forward that is better than him and no teams in MLS are deep enough to be signing him as a compete for a spot type situation.

      • if his goal is a paycheck, and quality of life, and he doesn’t care whether NT ever calls again, sign someplace nice and agree to be the backup striker. but to me that’s what he already does, just in another country. if he wants to be on the NT, he has done all he can when capped — 3 goals in 2018 — and they are holding club minutes against him. in which case seeing the field would override location or paycheck. it depends what his priorities are. as a USMNT fan, i think we need striker help and to do so he needs a club situation where he can be called and capped. the more upmarket he goes the more he replicates his german situation. it might be more pleasant and more prestigious, but if he wants NT he needs a team that wants a starting striker that will showcase his skills and get him back ahead of zardes. otherwise he gets paid and zardes plays the internationals.

      • bobby wood has scored on holland, germany, mexico twice, costa rica, colombia, ireland, honduras, panama, paraguay. zardes has scored on trinidad, canada, cuba, st. vincent, guyana, ecuador, and holland once. wood gets a goal between every 3-4 games. zardes gets goals every 4-5 games. the difference in quality is obvious. i want the guy who can score on hex teams.

  3. “He could wait until then to make a move to MLS, but FC Cincinnati’s offer for him could complicate matters, and force any interested team to make a trade with Cincinnati to acquire his MLS rights”
    wait.. what? how the heck would Cincy own his rights?

    Reply
    • Yea I’m confused, unless Hamburg accept cincy’s offer and they pay some transfer fee… otherwise wouldn’t Wood fall under allocation order as a USMNT member?

      Reply
      • allocation is only “select” NT and YNT players. he hasn’t been capped since 2018 and wasn’t selected. he is off allocation. he would be on the discovery dibs process like it used to be. first team to list him has right of first refusal for 4 windows.

    • people also need to remember the discovery dibs process was intended as a parity device so every import couldn’t insist on LA or NY but had to consider/compensate offers from the first-in-line flyover teams in between.

      Reply

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