Are the Revs about to lose Dempsey and Twellman?
New England will be without Clint Dempsey for the next two games due to breaking Jimmy Conrad's jaw (Clint is also out $1000), but if Dempsey has his way, he will be gone for good as-soon-as-possible.
His teammate, Taylor Twellman is also ready for a move, in his case a return, to Europe, but both players have the same problem, they are under MLS contract till December 2007.
So what could get Dempsey or Twellman out of their contracts? A large transfer fee.
MLS took a risk by turning down Benfica's offer last year. Part of their hope was that Johnson would have a great World Cup and get an even bigger offer, but sadly, it looks like that risk might just be a loss. If a club comes up with similar numbers for Dempsey and Twellman, it might be hard to turn them down.
That said, the questions become which clubs will come looking and how soon would they need them? I think an offer by the end of August would be difficult. First, there has not been a lot of talk and second, as far as Dempsey, I don't know if the MLS is ready to drop the biggest star to come out of the US World Cup squad mid-season.
However, MLS should be a lot more open to a December offer. This gives the league a few more months with Dempsey/Twellman and it allows the Revs to regroup before the start of a season.
By the way, New England could have even more trouble coming their way as Pat Noonan is looking for a European club. If all three of these players were gone, coach Steve Nicol would be in for a hard off-season.
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Don't forget the US Soccer Carnival part IV.
His teammate, Taylor Twellman is also ready for a move, in his case a return, to Europe, but both players have the same problem, they are under MLS contract till December 2007.
So what could get Dempsey or Twellman out of their contracts? A large transfer fee.
A significant transfer fee, such as the $5 million Benfica offered for Eddie Johnson last year, would surely convince MLS to part with Dempsey. The trick for Dempsey is to get a similar offer on the table when the transfer window is open, either now or next December.
MLS took a risk by turning down Benfica's offer last year. Part of their hope was that Johnson would have a great World Cup and get an even bigger offer, but sadly, it looks like that risk might just be a loss. If a club comes up with similar numbers for Dempsey and Twellman, it might be hard to turn them down.
That said, the questions become which clubs will come looking and how soon would they need them? I think an offer by the end of August would be difficult. First, there has not been a lot of talk and second, as far as Dempsey, I don't know if the MLS is ready to drop the biggest star to come out of the US World Cup squad mid-season.
However, MLS should be a lot more open to a December offer. This gives the league a few more months with Dempsey/Twellman and it allows the Revs to regroup before the start of a season.
By the way, New England could have even more trouble coming their way as Pat Noonan is looking for a European club. If all three of these players were gone, coach Steve Nicol would be in for a hard off-season.
----
Don't forget the US Soccer Carnival part IV.
Labels: MLS
posted by Mike H at 12:50 PM
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