The Designated Player Plot Thickens
July 17th, 2007 . 9:36 pm . By: Buzz CarrickAccording to sources familiar with the situation, FC Dallas has held discussions with two additional players about joining the team as a Designated player. Multiple news sources previously confirmed the discussions with Denilson and Chamagol, but 3rd Degree has learned that FCD has entered into discussions with Argentine Bruno Marioni and jumped into the sweepstakes for Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha. Our sources indicate if FCD is to make a move for a DP it will likely happen in the next week. Marioni, who turned 32 this week and currently plies his trade with Boca Juniors, appears to be the more serious candidate at this stage along with the 29 year old Brazilian Denilson, who reportedly remains in Dallas while negotiations take place. Negotiations of this kind often go back and forth, but FCD looks to have reached a deeper level of negotiations with these two players. Marioni, who has the same agent as Pablo Ricchetti, has previously been linked with Houston Dynamo and he also reportedly has an offer from Atlas on the table. Further confusing matters is the report in Ole, Argentina’s leading sports daily, that says Denilson’s representatives have offered his services to Newell’s Old Boys., although FCD appears to be the players first choice. The play for the soon to be 34 Okocha appears to have come about in the very recent interim and may be an attempt to snatch the player out of Real Salt Lake’s hands at the final hurdle. It’s remains unclear how realistic the Okocha approach is given the late arrival of his name on the FCD list. Chamagol, while still among the possible names, is reported to have been training with San Lorenzo in Argentina and looks to be a less likely option at this point. 3rd Degree has also learned more about the DP process from various league sources that could greatly effect the FCD roster down the line. During the second transfer window, DP players only cost half as much on the cap for the remaining season, meaning a team only needs to clear $200k for the latter half of the year. It’s less well known that a second DP costs less on the cap, $330,000 for the year, and only $165 from the second window on. As we previously reported Allocation money can not be used on DP signings. It’s long been known that Carlos Ruiz was grandfathered in for the 2007 season and would be a DP player in 2008, but what has not been well publicized is that Ruiz does count as the DP in cap terms. This means that any DP signed by the Red Stripes will count as their second DP. This means a $330k salary slot, divided in half for a cap hit of $165,000 for Dallas to add a player such as Denilson or Marioni. As a consequence a DP for the stretch run is much more affordable for FCD. Of course Dallas would not be able to keep both Ruiz and any new DP in 2008 without trading for an extra DP slot. The consequence of all of this is that FCD may be able to add a DP level striker while retaining Carlos Ruiz, a feat that looked unlikely a few weeks ago. Dallas would still need to clear a Senior International roster spot, of which they currently have four: Ruiz, Marcelo Saragosa, Adrian Serioux, and Pablo Ricchetti. Stay tuned as the story develops. 33 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
Marioni already signed with Club Atlas in Mexico.
Sorry it’s in Spanish.
http://www.mediotiempo.com/noticia.php?id_noticia=41957
I guess it looks like WHOEVER we sign won’t have their work visa prepared before SuperLiga begins.
At least we’ll have the young Ricardinho to tide us over until then…
GO HOOPS!
Marioni to Atlas
http://www.transfermarketweb.com/?action=read&idsel=985
Richetti is the only untouchable SI on this team…..
I’d love to see Denilson signed because he’s fairlyyoung, brillant on the ball and provides what this team lacks, a creator.
yep… i agree Hank. I want Denilson, how fun would that be to watch. As for Ruiz, let him go next season unless he really steps it up. A couple goals aren’t going to change the fact that we could get somebody with more talent instead of him.
Buzz,
what about this francis doe kid? what kind of roster spot would he take up?
I normally agree with you Hank, but I think Denilson is a mistake. Saudi Arabia is where players go to take it easy and pull in a big paycheck. I fear he’ll treat MLS the same way. He’s not the phenom he was in 1998. But, yes, Ricchetti is our only untouchable SI.
great work as always buzz!
Frank, I’ll talk to my sources again but as of yesterday they were saying Marioni has not officially signed with Atlas, just that he had an offer.
Troy, Doe looks strong, I think they will try and sign him. He would most likely land a spot in the moves that could accommodate a DP player. Although even if there is no DP I think they will go for Doe.
Chase Wileman I expect to be signed in the next two weeks as well.
I like Denilson. I would like to see a winger play in Dallas before I die.
Also, if he sandbags it, well we may need to clear a DP slot next year anyway.
Also, sorry to nitpick, but it’s ChamAgol.
Looks like FCD missed the boat on Marioni… http://www.elsiglodetorreon.co...86772.presentan-a-marioni.html
I am still trying to confirm with my sources here in town.
So – the Okocha to FCD rumor seems to have come out of nowhere. The fans of RSL seem to have been questioning whether it was even a “true” rumor for them. Without revealing your sources, have you confirmed that Okocha is interested in MLS? Is he actually close to signing with RSL? If he is, what is FCD trying to offering him to bring him here?
I confirmed Okocha in that some of my sources are inside MLS. So Okocha interest seems as legit as any who we see linked to this point. I don’t know as to what stage in negotiations he is with either side.
Wow. That would be a great DP add for either team. A true attacking midfielder with great ball control skills is a rarity in MLS – here is hoping that Jay-Jay can still play!
Buzz, who are the potential candidates to be moved/waived to open slots for Doe and Wileman?
We know an SI spot has to open for one of the DP candidates, but for Doe and Wileman two other roster slots need to open – correct?
Man, I’ve been calling for Marioni since Toluca won the CONCACAF Champions Cup. boy wouldn’t he be a good pickup. but I guess he’s gone.
I thought Jay-Jay wanted always to finish his career playing in Nigeria, thats why he left Bolton so amicably. why would he leave England to finish his career in Nigeria only to then come to MLS (RSL of all places)? Is it just the $$$?
I have to believe that Alex Yi is gone since Pitch has shown he can fill that 4th CB spot adequately with Serioux back, one leaves. Saragosa is gone with Dax back and it relieves a SI spot. Pitch can play there also. Shaka is gone to relieve cap space. You could also see a move with Mina, but he has flexibility as a YI player.
Pitch moves up to the full roster and Whileman is signed to the Developmental to replace him. Doe is added and the DP is added also. Burse becomes the backup and can stay Dev.
Ed, adding those tow players will take a back seat to a DP, since a DP may change the top end of the roster in ways that are hard to predict. The trickle down effect may make room for them.
Outside of space opening up… Wileman is in direct competition with Sandi Gbandi and Scott Jones. Doe is likely a senior 18 player, but who would go is again hard to predict.
Just to clarify – Okocha left Bolton to play in Qatar (not Nigeria). So, I would guess, yes, it is all about the money.
Twotone – you have to be able to find a team willing to take these players and their contracts. No one is going to take Shaka and his ~$200K contract.
Since July 1st if you waive someone you still have to pay them so you have to find a team wanting to take on Yi also now.
Mina is on IR so he cannot be waived and it is doubtful anyone will want him until he recovers and shows he still has it..
buzz,
what leads you to believe that chase wileman will be signed?
Some comments Morrow made to me about him.
should be a very interesting next few weeks
Buzz,
what’s special about doe? We look pretty set at forward with Fish, dom, abe, and kenny coming back. Sometimes we only use Fish with a bunch of midfielders.
so i think with the new news of the san jose EQ coming back to the mls, is ti possible to move players there now that they will be joining back, could that leave some space available.??
J7,
that’s next year….don’t think they will be picking up players until the offseason.
Hank, Doe’s 21, fast, strong, athletic with ability to beat people. Bottom line I grade him higher than almost any forward that has come out of college in the last two years and that’s the age he is. He would make the team better than some of the players on the roster now. That’s worth adding IMO and I expect them to pick him up.
I’m saying that these players are most vulnerable. I agree that Shaka will be hard to move, but FCD has expressed the desire to do something with his salary and have tried backwards ways to do it, like getting it off the players books and trying to move it to the staff books.
Yi and Pitch are both “cheap” players. If Colorado can move Beckerman and Vanney, then Dallas can move Yi. the problem will be if anyone wants him. they can release him and not have too much of a hit with his salary to create a Senior Roster spot.
I have got to think that Nunez would be moved somewhere with all of this wheeling and dealing. I hope we get Jay-Jay the Jet Plane!
Awesome Job Buzz! You and the other contributors to the sight make it so much more fun to be an FC Dallas Fan. I hope the folks at the Club offices realize how much you guys do for both the Club and the league. The hard-core fans certainly do. Thanks
Meh. I’m not even sure we need a DP at this point. Denilson is the only name that excites me, and he’d probably just come here and dog it. I don’t want any playing time taken away from some of our developing players.
I don’t think he’d dog it… i hate when everybody thinks that right away.
Did we ever hear what the cap hit was for Shaka’s double duty (coach and player)?
that will also impact what monies we will have to spend.
not a specific amount, but they did get a little something. Whatever it was went into signing Ricardinho… although he is not yet of course officially signed pending his visa.
[...] needs to only clear about $165 to sign Denilson for the latter half of the season (I explained that here), I would bet my $1 that Saragosa will be traded. That’s just conjecture of course. It [...]