RSL set to acquire Will Johnson

[Damien]

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_b...t-to-acqu.html

Real Salt Lake has emerged as the front-runner to land the services of Canadian striker Will Johnson.

RSL is set to strike a deal with the Chicago Fire for the rights to Johnson, who signed with MLS last week and whose rights are held by the Fire, sources told SBI on Friday. Johnson played for Chicago before going to Dutch club Herenveen in 2006.

RSL would join Clint Mathis as summer acquisitions by a Real Salt Lake squad battling for first place in the Western Conference and seeking the first playoff berth in the club's history.

Guess we're not gettin him...

[Nodoubtguy]

boooooo

[bangersandmash]

Maybe we can convince Mo to throw a draft-pick their way.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

HAHAHA
curious to see how he will do.
too bad hes headed to that shit team.
I am a bit disappointed we arent signing him, even tho hes unproven (for the most part)

[Ossington Mental Youth]

wonder if he'll get playing time

[invictusTFC]

I can't say that I've followed Will Johnson's career all that much, but it sounds like nothing more than a depth acquisition.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

I seem to think youre right, hes defo not going to get first team (all assumptions but i would imagine they are safe ones)

[rocker]

i like what i saw of Will J at the olympic qualifying. Although he seemed a tad small and slight, even against the younger guys. if he wanted to come here, he'd be worth a shot, but i need to see him play in MLS to better gauge his potential. I've found it really hard to do this with players coming from europe. some succeed, some bomb.

[olegunnar]

I bet after the McBride situation we had zero chance at making a deal with Shitcago for Johnson (assuming we were interested).

[Ossington Mental Youth]

^^^^
Prob safe to say.
Fuck chicago

[Dirk Diggler]

I bet after the McBride situation we had zero chance at making a deal with Shitcago for Johnson (assuming we were interested).

That's what I'm assuming as well. As incompetent as I think Mo is, there is no way he doesn't even show interest in him otherwise.

[TFC OZZ]

What The Fuck.

Use Some God Damn Money From The Edu Transfer And Sign Him.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

not that easy man, chicago has his rights and theres no way theyd go easy after the mcbride fiasco and frankly as he is unproven its prob not worth the hassle

[arsenal]

Rumor is he went for a 4th rounder next year and 2nd in 2010 or 2011. I am sure the price would have been much steeper for TFC assuming that will even wanted to play here. If he wants to play here and TFC want him .... looks like we are dealing with RSL.

[Keegan]

I seem to think youre right, hes defo not going to get first team (all assumptions but i would imagine they are safe ones)

He was a starter in the MLS at age 18 then he quickly jumped ship.


3 years later and he is definitely not getting 1st team? He started in the Eredivisie last year.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

He was a starter in the MLS at age 18 then he quickly jumped ship.


3 years later and he is definitely not getting 1st team? He started in the Eredivisie last year.

Did he start several games or did he start all the way through the season.
Theres a big difference between the two.

[Keegan]

He emerged as a starter then jumped ship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6T8lOHLVzo

his first and only MLS goal (6 matches). But what a strike.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Christ he looks young there.
Beauty of a goal but still not proven enough to sell the farm

[rocker]

i'd rather deal with RSL in the future than Chicago anyways. the last thing we need is to make that hated club better.

[Keegan]

Christ he looks young there.
Beauty of a goal but still not proven enough to sell the farm

I would give a first for him. Look at our past 1st rounders, besides a couple gems each year there are 100 useless players. Andy Boyens, Jarrod Smith, Julius James. Johnson is 3 years younger than Julius James and has already played overseas and for the MNT.

I think draft picks are a waste of time ESPECIALLY for our club with the international rules.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Jar Smith was never a first round pick.
I agree drafts are a bit silly but i wouldnt discount them all together, there are two or more top level Canadians coming through, Obrien white for one.
I dont think that a first round draft pick for him wouldnt be a bad deal however id put money on the fact that Chicago would demand waaaaaay more

[ensco]

Jar Smith was never a first round pick.
I agree drafts are a bit silly but i wouldnt discount them all together, there are two or more top level Canadians coming through, Obrien white for one.
I dont think that a first round draft pick for him wouldnt be a bad deal however id put money on the fact that Chicago would demand waaaaaay more

Lottery in the true sense of the word.

After we dealt Phelan for a bag of balls, I thought first rounders weren't worth much....but Edu shows you that there's a chance that they're worth a LOT of money

[Keegan]

Jar Smith was never a first round pick.
I agree drafts are a bit silly but i wouldnt discount them all together, there are two or more top level Canadians coming through, Obrien white for one.
I dont think that a first round draft pick for him wouldnt be a bad deal however id put money on the fact that Chicago would demand waaaaaay more

O'Brien White isn't Canadian he has played for Jamaica. Just as Canadian as Andy Williams.

Plus all Canadian draft eligible players have basically jumped ship for Europe, TOSAINT RICKETTS is one who could go high but he was on trial in Sweden so does that cancel his eligiblity probably not if he didn't sign. Riley O'Neill (FSV Mainz), Michael D'Agostino (Blackpool) and Dejan Jakovic (Red Star Belgrade) have all already jumped for Europe. Dejan Jakovic is going to be a Men's team player one day he is good and is already starting for Red Star.

Kyle Hall might be eligible too. But that is about it.

Point is most of those guys played for the U23 team and Will Johnson is better than all of them except maybe Dejan Jakovic but he is 2 years younger than Dejan. And I would gladly give up a 2nd and 4th for Will Johnson in a second, he is going to be the next Canadian star in the MLS.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Obrien is considered a canadian as his mom lives in scarborough and hes got a citizenship, I would be amazed if we didnt make a move for him and/or he wasnt on the radar. Its true that several of those cats have already moved on but that doesnt mean that american talent should be negated.

Reilly was drafted a while back (2006? 2007?) and Colorado owned his rights (we supposedly have em now).

Once again there is no proof that Johnson is MLS talent, hes played what? 6 games?
i dont doubt he is talented and i do agree that at a reasonable price he would be a great addition to any team (especially ours), but as mentioned previously its highly doubtful that Chicago would be reasonable.

[T_Mizz]

He belongs to RSL now there's no need to deal with chicago but he def is the best U-23 player for Canada and deserves consideration for the best U-23 player in CONCACAF he started in our league, has scored in our league, started in a better league and scored in a better league, is 20 or 21 and you don't think he'd be worth a shot. Did you watch the olympic qualifying games like the rest of us?

[RPB_Brantford_08]

We could deal easier with RSL then the Fire idiots....Mo should offer a 3rd round superdraft pick for Johnson.

[T_Mizz]

I think with this whole Mcbride thing TFC and Chicago have made bitter rivals out of each other, New Derby/cup: Great Lakes Cup Chicago-TFC

[Ossington Mental Youth]

He belongs to RSL now there's no need to deal with chicago but he def is the best U-23 player for Canada and deserves consideration for the best U-23 player in CONCACAF he started in our league, has scored in our league, started in a better league and scored in a better league, is 20 or 21 and you don't think he'd be worth a shot. Did you watch the olympic qualifying games like the rest of us?

Uh, i did, im not saying i wouldnt mind having him on the team, i am however reasoning as to why we havent made a move for him

[ensco]

He belongs to RSL now

He didn't cost them much. Conditional superdraft picks in 2009 and 2011, similar to cost for Ruiz.

[arsenal]

He didn't cost them much. Conditional superdraft picks in 2009 and 2011, similar to cost for Ruiz.

2nd next year and 4th in 2011 ...... hell of a lot more than we paid for Ruiz (5th & 6th next year).