Out of nowhere, in the final week of Major League Soccer's summer transfer window, the New York Red Bulls are reportedly on the verge of making interesting splash with the possible signing of Australian attacking midfielder Tim Cahill from Everton.
New York Red Bulls Reportedly Close To Signing Tim Cahill
In a move the developed out of nowhere, the New York Red Bulls reportedly had a bid for Everton’s Tim Cahill accepted.
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Before we go any further, this is still a rumor, but it has legs.
New York Red Bulls are closing in on a £1m deal for @Tim_Cahill with Everton accepting a bid for the Australian forward. #bbcfootball #efc
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 23, 2012
The 32-year-old Cahill has been with Everton since 2004 and has become legend among fans at the club. He scored 56 goals in 226 appearances and for many epitomized David Moyes' tenure at the club. Moyes signed Cahill from Millwall for only £1.5 million, a diamond in the rough type move that Everton fans have grown accustomed to.
The Red Bulls meanwhile would gain a talented, but aging (in soccer terms) attacking midfielder with a penchant for physical play and until recently, a real nose for the goal. While he’s not the player he was a couple seasons ago, there’s every reason to believe he could be effective in MLS. One thing is certain, the often overly physical nature of play in the league shouldn’t bother him too much.
It still must be asked however just how much of a good soccer move this would be by Hans Backe and the Red Bulls. Cahill is obviously on the downhill side of his career and while you can't questions his heart and desire, the stats seem to point to a player that just doesn't have much left in the tank. It's possible MLS could be the ideal place for him to have a bit of a career resurgence, and while £1 million doesn't sound like much when it comes to transfer, that's a big chunk of change by MLS standards.
Smarter men than myself might also struggle to figure out how Cahill fits tactically into the Red Bulls’ lineup.
You're also now free to begin speculating about how this sets the table for Landon Donovan to finally move overseas again to Everton. After all, who cares if Donovan plays for the LA Galaxy, MLS is a single-entity league, anything is possible.
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