Could Rosell Return to KC?

Early in the 2014 season, Sporting Kansas City transferred Spanish defensive midfielder, Oriol Rosell to Portuguese side, Sporting Club de Portugal. At the time, the transfer was seen with disappointment and happiness that the club was losing one of their better players, but that he was going to one of the giants of Portugal and a perennial Champions League team. From the Portugal side of things it was thought that Rosell would eventually replace William Carvalho who was a target of clubs in the EPL. Carvalho hasn't left though and Rosell hasn't gotten a ton of playing time with the club. Last year he played just 482 minutes in league play, added another 500 in domestic cups, and 88 minutes in European competitions last year. This year, Rosell has yet to dress for his club as they started their 2015-2016 season a few weeks ago.

With that lack of playing time, it's led to rumors of Rosell's departure from the club, including a rumored return to the States. A report today out of Portugal linked Rosell with not just a return to the US, but a return to Sporting KC. According to the article, KC has already shown interest in the Spaniard returning to the club he enjoyed enough success to earn him a move in the first place.

The thought of Rosell returning to KC is certainly something that would be welcomed with open arms by the fans, Rosell had quickly become a fan favorite during his time in KC made even greater by his departure and KC's struggles to replace him. In reality though it seems that KC may have finally found someone that replaced him, in Haitian, Soni Mustivar. Since replacing Servando Carrasco, Mustivar has stabilized the defensive midfield position and the back line behind him. A returning Rosell would immediately create more competition for time in the midfield, but it'd also become a question of who starts and who sits. Right now KC's starting midfield when everyone is healthy is quite formidable with the likes of Mustivar, Roger Espinoza, and Benny Feilhaber. While having depth is good, there are also other areas that most fans would say need to be addressed before the midfield right now.

Beside Rosell's place on the field, the bigger question may be how KC's acquires him should he return to the US. Since KC received a transfer fee for Rosell from Sporting Portugal, if Rosell returns to the US he would be subjected to the allocation rules. It's the same process that saw Kei Kamara return to the Columbus Crew late last year after being released from his contract by Middlesbrough. Currently KC is in sixth place in the allocation order behind the LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, Philadelphia Union, and Portland Timbers. That means that KC would either have to hope for all five of those teams to pass on signing Rosell (which I really can't see happening), or KC is going to have to make a deal with someone in front of them to move up in the order to grab him. A trade would likely have to involve either allocation money (which rumor was KC had plenty of) or potentially the new targeted allocation money. The later might appeal greatly to the team at the top of the order, the Galaxy, as they've already used all of their TAM to buy down the contract of Omar Gonzalez to allow them to sign Giovani dos Santos as another designated player earlier this year. A way around the allocation order could be to make Rosell a designated player (if MLS were to agree to that contract).

The other thing with this move to keep in mind is that it wouldn't help KC this year, the earliest Rosell could help is in 2016. The reason for this is that MLS's transfer window is closed, any player that KC signs between now and the September 16th roster freeze date have to be out of contract before the MLS window closed. If Rosell is released from his contract between now and the end of the MLS season, KC would only have to move up from sixth and he would officially be added to the roster when MLS' primary window opens in early 2016. Once the season ends though the order resets based on the 2015 finish that will likely see KC move further back in the order.

UPDATE: This further article though makes it seem that Sporting CP isn't going to be letting Rosell go cheaply. Apparently they want to recoup the money that they'd spent on purchasing Rosell from KC last year. Sporting spending that amount for Rosell seems extremely unlikely, especially when Rosell would probably come with a larger contract than the one he left with. Over spending to get Rosell back would be counter productive, the same way over spending to get the first spot in the allocation order last year to get Kei Kamara wouldn't have been in KC's best interest (even with Kamara's goal output this year).

Rosell to Sporting Club de Portugal is Official

The Oriol Rosell to Sporting Club de Portugal deal is finished, the Spaniard was unveiled as the team's newest player. It's a blow for Sporting KC, who now appear very short in midfield and needing to make moves in this summer's transfer window. Robb Heineman says there's already a verbal agreement in place on one player and another in the works. Rumors earlier today also that KC was looking to bring in either Roger Espinoza or Jorge Claros (a target in last summer's transfer window). Hopefully KC get some of these deals done, or else when everyone is back this season, KC will have just 22 players available (28 rostered players, 3 on IR, 3 on loan).

The deal is reported to be somewhere between $1.6 million and $1.8 million. That would give KC over $1 million of the fee after the league takes their 1/3 cut. They get $650,000 or so of that in allocation money to use, the rest has to be used on other soccer means.

For Rosell, he departs KC having played in 57 games in all competitions, starting 52 of them, 43 league games, 39 starts, and two goals for KC. He was the 7th youngest player at the time of his debut to appear for KC (he's since fallen to 10th) at 20 years, 35 days. He was the 6th youngest player to start a league game for KC (since falling to 9th) at 20 years, 77 days. He's the 3rd youngest goal scorer for KC in league play, 4th in all competitions at 20 years, 56 days) His second goal he scored for KC was the 300th in league play away from home in KC's history. And Last season with Seth Sinovic set a club record for starts (41) and appearances (42) in all competitions in a single season.

In the immediate future, until the transfer window opens for MLS teams in July, the deep midfield role will be filled by Benny Feilhaber and Lawrence Olum. Feilhaber's passing helps to connect the defense to the midfield in the same way that Rosell did. Meanwhile, Olum provides more defensive help than Feilhaber does, but lacks in the passing department.

One thing that has been rampant since the move was even rumored was people's anger over the move, stating how it makes MLS a selling league and asking how the league can improve if it keeps selling it's good young players. And while those arguments are valid in a way, I think they are also short sighted. Yes, it sucks to lose the likes of Rosell, Kei Kamara, and Roger Espinoza to Europe.

Yes it sucks that Sporting can't compete with some clubs wage wise. But this is where KC and MLS is right now as a league. MLS is for lack of a better term a selling league right now. Clubs with bigger pocket books come in and buy players when they really succeed. But KC is playing this process right. They are bringing in young, cheap players who have the talent to be successful, but are either struggling for time at their club, or have run out of options in Europe. KC has proven with the development of Rosell, Kamara, Espinoza, Matt Besler, and Graham Zusi, that they can develop talent into the next level.

Then there's what happened today with Rosell or last year with Kamara, where the team allowed those players (both key parts to the team) to leave for other clubs. That's not something that many clubs are willing to do, let key parts of their team leave. But on the other side, that's another thing that will get a players attention. The fact that the team will not hold the player back from moving on to another team that will allow them to continue to improve their career. These things can help to draw more young players to KC like Rosell, like Igor Juliao, like Toni Dovale. Players where this may be a "stepping stone" but will help build a good solid reputation for the club.

Good luck to Rosell in Portugal.

Rosell to Portugal Talks Continue UPDATE

Sporting's issues don't appear like they'll be getting any easier here in the near future. The rumored move of Oriol Rosell to Sporting Club de Portugal continues. Word out of Portugal today is that the deal is all but done that will see Rosell leave Sporting KC for Portugal. The fee is apparently around $1.36 million. The fee though seems a little low for the 21 year old midfielder who has become a consistent starter for KC.

It'd be a big blow for KC as Rosell's passing out of the deep lying midfield position has been key for Sporting's offense this season. 

Rosell had originally come to the US as a way to continue his education after starting his career with Barcelona's B team. In his first full season with the team he broke into the starting 11, replacing Julio Cesar as a deep lying midfielder.  

Rosell wouldn't be the first player that Sporting has pulled from MLS. They brought in former Seattle Sounder, Fredy Montero on loan before signing him to a contract. It looks like the Lisbon club will again dip into MLS for talent. And in the end this move should have always been seen as coming eventually. I couldn't see Rosell being in MLS long term. If and when the deal does go through, KC will get 2/3rds of the transfer fee with the other 1/3rd going to the league.

As for replacing Rosell, that's not going to be an easy task. Lawrence Olum has shown to have the defensive ability to play there, but with the injury to Ike Opara he is also now the primary back up at center back when both Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin are healthy. And while Olum and Rosell have been out, it's been Benny Feilhaber sitting in Rosell's role. He doesn't have the defensive capabilities of those two, but he can match Rosell when it comes to passing though.

UPDATE 6/3: Rosell is in Lisbon this morning, apparently to have a medical before signing his five year deal with the club.