Taking his ball and going elsewhere?
It should come as no surprise that Seattle's Fredy Montero has apparently attracted the attention of Fulham. I can remember live blogging the MLS season opener and having a discussion about how long it would take before Montero was headed to a bigger league. The consensus that day was in January, but some suggested that a summer transfer was possible.
If the Sky Sports article is correct, Seattle may be looking at a tough decision soon. Although the Sounders are within their rights to block a move to Craven Cottage until the end of Montero's loan period, one wonders whether that's the right approach.
Holding back players that are looking to move up a level is never good business and Seattle manager Sigi Schmid seems to recognize that, telling Sky that he would never stop a player from advancing his career.
That said, MLS isn't like other parts of the football world. Although it seems to be common sense that you wouldn't stop Montero here - and there are few clubs in the world that would stop a transfer to a big four league -- the concept of a bigger club coming along and scooping up one of a team's most talented players (without compensation beyond money) in the middle of a successful season is foreign to North American sports fans.
Although some of the 30,000 plus that pack the stadium in Seattle are sophisticated in the ways of football, not all of them will appreciate the sudden disappearance of Montero. It's simply not how sports work here.
Montero's situation is a bit different because he's a loaned player. Deportivo Cali actually owns him and would gain the most from a transfer. Regardless, Montero thinks that if Fulham make the offer that he'll be catching the next plane to London.
"I haven't spoken about this situation with the officials of Seattle yet but I suppose that once they receive a proposal there will not be any problem. Because I am interested in this chance they will not bring me any problem.
"Fulham had been in touch with me more than six months ago and now they have done it again and I am interested in having the chance of playing in their league."
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
5 comments:
If Seattle have no say in this do they just wait and see if Cali gives him up or not? Can you move a guy in the middle of a loan deal?
Seattle would need to approve ending the loan deal (unless there was clause that allowed Cali to sell hium off at any time).
Ok fuck that. He can advance his career in January. Seattle needs to say no...Freddy should finish the season.
That's shortsighted. MLS is better for having Montero in the league. If Seattle blocks him from a transfer to a top league, other young South Americans probably would avoid playing in the league and that would be bad.
freddy is here on a pretty cheap loan. Part of the reason he came here i believe was to get used to living in a more euro/american way and to get used to the athelticism and physicallity. I think the goal was always to go to England for him. But in an article in the times he said he hasn't talked to anyone at fulham but it doesn't mean his handlers haven't
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