Costa Rican Sports – Another Costa Rican soccer player might be heading to the MLS.
The Crew SC is attempting to add at least one more player before the MLS transfer-trade deadline tonight at midnight.
One player drawing interest is Costa Rican forward Jonathan McDonald. The Argentine newspaper La Nacion reports the Crew has made a financial offer to his club team, Alajuelense, in Costa Rica and its officials are weighing the transfer fee today.
A source told The Dispatch this morning a deal for the 5-foot-8 McDonald was “not likely,” but that can change between now and midnight. He has less than a year remaining on his current deal.
Alajuelense club director Marco Vasquez told Costa Rican outlet Teletica: “It must be a very juicy proposal.”
The 28-year-old striker also was generating interest from the Chicago Fire, FC Dallas and D.C. United earlier in the summer. He’s scored 34 goals over the past two seasons.
Crew coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter would not comment on McDonald in keeping with his policy of not discussing players on other team’s rosters. He expects to be talking with clubs and representatives right up to the deadline.
The Crew (3-8-10) is riding a nine-game winless streak and sits seven points out of a playoff spot with 13 games remaining. Owner Anthony Precourt used his Twitter account Tuesday to tell fans the Crew SC is still searching for a Designated Player and he’d be willing to pay if the right deal presented itself.
“I have read the comments from Mr. Precourt and I totally agree with it,” Berhalter said. “We want to make this team better, we want to make this club better. That would include adding a high-level player. We have been looking at every single option and been in discussion about every single option and we’ll see if something comes.
“We’re looking at the future of the club and that’s the important thing, building not only for this year but for years to come. That’s why you want to be careful, you want to be smart and you want to get a high-level player.”
By: Tom Reed, The Columbus Dispatch
