MLS Transfer Update

Key:

Done Deal

Possible

Rumored

Leaving MLS From –> To

Chris Gbandi FC Dallas –> FK Haugesund (Norway)

Brad Guzan Chivas USA –> Celtic (Scotland)

Eddie Johnson Kansas City –> Fulham (England) PENDING A WORK PERMIT

Taylor Twellman New England –> Preston North End (England)

Andy Dorman New England –> St Mirren (Scotland)

Troy Perkins DC United –> Vålerenga I.F (Norway)

Joseph Ngwenya Houston –> SK Austria Kärnten (Austria)

Brian Arguez DC United –> Hertha Berlin (Germany)

Matt Pickens Chicago –> Norwich (England)

Luciano Emilio DC United –> Moreila (Mexico)

Andy Herron Columbus –> Puntarenas FC (Costa Rica)

Coming to MLS From –> To

Marcello Gallardo Paris St Germain (France) –> Red Bull NY

Celestine Babayaro Newcastle United (England) –> LA Galaxy

Tam MacManus Dunfermline (Scotland) –> Colorado

Agustin Delgado LDU Quito (Ecuador) —> Colorado

Freddy Thompson Muncipal (Guatemala) –> Chivas USA

Duilio Davino America (Mexico) –> FC Dallas

Claudio Lopez America (Mexico) –> Kansas City

Gonzalo Martinez Millionares (Columbia) –> DC United

Maceij Zurawski Celtic (Scotland) –> Columbus Crew

Thoughts on the Latest Transfer Speculation

• I have been told the Eddie Johnson to Fulham deal could be dead after Johnson failed to secure a UK work permit. Fulham will appeal, but considering they spent £5 million on Marlon King, one must wonder if they will go to the mat for Johnson the way they did for Clint Dempsey when his initial work permit application was rejected last year at this time.
• Brad Guzan has aroused the interest of several clubs according to Sky Sports. I personally don’t care where Guzan goes so long as it is not Fulham.
• The news broken by Steven Goff of the Washington Post on Wednesday about Luciano Emilio tickling the fancy of Moreila presents a long term problem for MLS. The league is getting more exposure in Mexico then ever and finally has won an acceptance among the Mexican media as having some decent football. But MLS cannot possibly afford to pay the sort of salaries that are paid in the Mexican League to squad players. So essentially, unless an MLS team is willing to use a DP slot on a player who may want to go to Mexico, they will have to sell him or make him stay for less money.
• Benny Feilhaber is apparently being sold by Derby County. Destination unknown. My opinion of Feilhaber as articulated this past week on the American Soccer Show is that he is substantially behind Rico Clark and Maurice Edu as a holding midfielder.
• I saw the Sky Sports story linking Maceij Zurawski to the LA Galaxy. This story is very disturbing. Zurawski is an outstanding player one who clearly cannot fit under the salary cap in MLS, when LA already has three maximum salary players on its books. Sky Sports is quite possibly the most reliable source of information in the U.K. about transfers, which is why I am very concerned that this may be true and LA is being allowed to circumvent the salary cap yet again.