George John Transfer Imminent?

by Daniel Robertson on Jan 4, 2012 7:59 PM CST

SANDY UT - SEPTEMBER 16: Alvaro Saborio #15 of Real Salt Lake and George John #14 of FC Dallas fight for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer game September 16 2010 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy Utah. Real Salt Lake beat FC Dallas 2-0. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

Well it looks like we need to add a piece to those roster needs for Dallas. FC Dallas and US Soccer released information tonight that center back George John has left USA camp to pursue an opportunity overseas.

This comes as somewhat of a surprise as I'd been told in the past that a January transfer was unlikely for John, but this latest move has to signal the end of George John's time in Dallas. We'll have more reaction when the move is finalized, but two quick thoughts.

Hernan Pertuz's role on FC Dallas just got a whole lot bigger and Dallas has to go out and get another top line center back. The other thought is that this is good news in the sense that a January 2012 transfer of George John hurts short term but the money they get for him should be pretty significant and this move is far preferrable to John leaving next January for nothing.

More to come on this as it becomes available...

Tweet Comment 30 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Ouch.

I wasn’t expecting this.

by mobushnaq on Jan 4, 2012 8:24 PM CST reply actions

The national team callup

really made me thing a January transfer was unlikely. Plus his agent telling me there was no deals in the works a few weeks ago. Stuff happens quick though…

www.bigdsoccer.com
-SB Nation Dallas/Ft. Worth-
-FC Dallas-

by Daniel Robertson on Jan 4, 2012 8:32 PM CST up reply actions

No names on potential suitors?

by mobushnaq on Jan 4, 2012 8:39 PM CST up reply actions

One that FCD has been tracking in the past

is CB Luis Moreno from Tauro.

www.bigdsoccer.com
-SB Nation Dallas/Ft. Worth-
-FC Dallas-

by Daniel Robertson on Jan 4, 2012 8:45 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

he is

lucho moreno? lucho being a nick name of sorts?

by Timothy Winning Voyles on Jan 4, 2012 9:24 PM CST up reply actions

I believe it happend quickly, after failing to get a short term deal done with the MLS, they realized they better shop George in order to get something rather then letting him walk away for free in the summer transfer.

by zepherJ on Jan 4, 2012 9:26 PM CST reply actions

Resolution?

If story has legs would hate to see GJ leave, great guy and really good CB. But would bring much needed resolution (and maybe some cash to invest in other players) to a saga that seems to have dragged on WAY too long. Will be interesting to see how it plays out…

by Ken Tysell on Jan 4, 2012 10:12 PM CST via iPhone app reply actions

this is a good thing

better not to have this situation as a cloud hanging over our heads all season long. Take the gamble on Pertuz, but keep looking for more depth.

…however…

it pains me to wonder if the $$$ gained from this transfer might have prevented our need to trade Chavez. Is it just me, or does it seem like too many of FCDs transfers in the last few years have been…well…panicky? (Alexander for Hall, Avila for Santos, Pearce for $, Chavez for $). Unlike John, I don’t think any of these 4 were itching to leave.

Then there are the outright blunders – McCarty for nothing comes to mind. I had hoped to see an end to all this with Barry Gorman’s departure – wondering if he was involved in Chavez to San Jose before he left.

DallasTilIDie
MAJ, USA
stuck in Afghanistan, a long long way from the stadium formerly known as Pizza Hut Park

by DallasTilIDie on Jan 4, 2012 11:10 PM CST up reply actions

Going to miss him but interested to see where he lands

He’s good enough for Europe and mature as a player…wonder if he goes to a relegation battle in a bigger league or one of the 2nd tier leagues a la Goodson.

Wish him the best of luck and sorry to see not be able to watch in person as he is not only the best defender on FCD, but the best defender in MLS imo…

by jyj on Jan 4, 2012 10:49 PM CST reply actions

twitter scuttlebutt

I read that Blackburn and West Ham are his likely destinations. However, that was from random Seattle fans on twitter. I couldn’t find anything on a blog or sports site.

by fennsk1 on Jan 5, 2012 8:00 AM CST reply actions

Walking out of USMNT Camp

The biggest concern I have about George John in this story (not so much Omar Gonzales doing the same thing this week) is not that he is leaving FCD—we’ve known this to be only a matter of time for the better part of a year—but rather that we’ve yet to cap-tie him to the USA, which we need to do pronto. Our national team sorely needs quality CBs as much as quality strikers. If George were in the middle, a more stout defense would have given back those damned goals against Mexico in the Gold Cup. For that matter, a Jurgen team would never have leaked those late goals either, but that is another story.

by rtschaefer on Jan 5, 2012 9:50 AM CST reply actions

cap-tie

Agreed with most of what you said but GJ can not be cap-tied by this camp. He could play in both games and still transfer like Jemaine Jones did. He gets cap-tied with a qualification game for the World Cup or a Gold Cup game.

by soccerroo on Jan 5, 2012 10:13 AM CST up reply actions

A little nugget

Heard from a source that George is in England so we know the club is in England. Wouldn’t tell me which club however.

www.bigdsoccer.com
-SB Nation Dallas/Ft. Worth-
-FC Dallas-

by Daniel Robertson on Jan 5, 2012 10:21 AM CST reply actions

Any English teams have recent CB injury problems?

If this offer arose suddenly, maybe the need for buyer was a recent development, too.

I haven’t paid a great deal of attention to the EPL over the last month. Which relegation-threatened EPL club (or promotion-pushing Championship club) have injuries on the backline recently? Or looks to be selling a CB? The only one I can think of is Bolton, who’s likely to sell Cahill.

by fennsk1 on Jan 5, 2012 10:51 AM CST up reply actions

The hot rumor

is West Ham, but I have nothing to confirm that.

www.bigdsoccer.com
-SB Nation Dallas/Ft. Worth-
-FC Dallas-

by Daniel Robertson on Jan 5, 2012 11:10 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah

I think their coach was quoted after the last match as looking for reinforcements on the backline, specifically central defender.

That may be a good situation as West Ham is in the hunt for promotion and there’s a good competition at the top of the table. Means GJ would (presumably) get to participate in some high pressure matches trying to maintain a top place.

What an altogether different type of pressure that the Bolton or Blackburn situation would be! Battling relegation and tenuous managerial situations…this would be less preferable I would think because ultimately new managers will want to bring in their own players regardless of whether the teams are able to stay up. Means GJ could find himself without a club at the end of the season.

Either way, it’s cool stuff and I hope it’s somewhere we’ll at least be able to watch him play occasionally on TV.

by jyj on Jan 5, 2012 11:20 AM CST up reply actions

Arsenal

Just lost Vermalaen for a few weeks, doubt this is a location for John, but it’s there…

by Timothy Winning Voyles on Jan 5, 2012 11:57 AM CST up reply actions

Heh that'd be awesome

Seems like Arsenal is looking for outside backs more judging from recent lineups with 4 central defenders starting…

by jyj on Jan 5, 2012 1:48 PM CST up reply actions

yeah it would be

but it seems he is heading to west ham… hopefully they can get promoted and he can play vs top flight teams. if they are stuck in championship, he may as well have stayed here imo.

by Timothy Winning Voyles on Jan 5, 2012 7:17 PM CST up reply actions

tough one

i would say upper half of championship is better on the whole than MLS, which is nice because that’s exactly where GJ is headed if the rumors are true. plus, as you mention, if standings hold and he gets promoted with WH then its a whole ’nother level. either way, best of luck to him!

by jyj on Jan 5, 2012 11:33 PM CST up reply actions

can't agree with that at all

2nd tier English football is not higher caliber than the top flight of MLS. To back that up, I point to RSLs trip to the CCL finals (and near victory there). I expect either LA or Seattle (dark horse: Toronto? it’s a new day up there) to make another deep run into that tournament. Our best are on the international club competition level now. Whether that trickles down to the bottom of the table…probably not. But you can take the playoff teams from 2011 and expect them to run neck and neck with the top 10 of the npower championship. LA Galaxy vs. Southampton? My money’s on the Galaxy. Houston vs. West Ham…harder to swallow, but with a healthy Brad Davis, still possible. RSL vs. Cardiff? No contest – RSL.

DallasTilIDie
MAJ, USA
stuck in Afghanistan, a long long way from the stadium formerly known as Pizza Hut Park

by DallasTilIDie on Jan 6, 2012 4:35 AM CST up reply actions

It's a better landing spot than Blackburn, though

GJ is following the money to England. At that point it’s not about comparing MLS to his new destination, it’s lower EPL vs. upper Championship. With 21 games left in the seasons over there, I’d say it’s more about where the long-term prospects of the potential clubs. Right now, West Ham projects to promote 71% of the time. Southampton should do so 66%, and Cardiff’s decidedly iffier at 50.8%. West Ham and Southamption are in the drivers’ seats for top 2, and even if they miss those, they should absolutely have promotion playoff spots (both are only 4% to fall below 6th).

On the other hand, the EPL odds say Bolton and Blackburn are 52.7% and 60.6% to relegate. Also, it has to be factored that Blackburn fans are picketing for dismissal of the manager every game.

If it were me, I’d far prefer West Ham or Southampton over Bolton or Blackburn. A better chance of playing at least one full season in the EPL, and hugely better odds of coaching continuity. That certainly swings the other direction if his prospects were more toward the middle of either table, but that doesn’t appear the case here.

by fennsk1 on Jan 6, 2012 7:26 AM CST up reply actions

absolutely

wouldn’t contest that at all…Blackburn is a relegation bound train wreck…which is sad given they were the last club outside of the big three to win an EPL championship. Agree on everything you said actually – just took issue with the previous assertion that top flight MLS isn’t competitive with npower championship. I don’t think George is actually considering any clubs in MLS, now or for the foreseeable future.

Earlier in 2011 I thought he was mostly appeasing Klinsmann (and also chasing cash) by trying to play overseas, but leaving camp to do so is a strange way to accomplish that

DallasTilIDie
MAJ, USA
stuck in Afghanistan, a long long way from the stadium formerly known as Pizza Hut Park

by DallasTilIDie on Jan 7, 2012 7:40 AM CST up reply actions

It had to happen sometime.

I’m just glad both sides of the party will win on this one. I’m sure wherever he goes he will be succesful, and FCD will have some much needed cash flow from the deal. Good luck George. Up the Irons!

The Red Shamrock Union
DTID!

by Keylock25 on Jan 5, 2012 11:11 AM CST reply actions