Houston Dynamo's center back Geoff Cameron is attempting to head overseas to play for Stoke City of the English Premiere league, but it has been a long and complicated process in negotiating the transfer. There was one report that said that the MLS had agreed to send Cameron to Stoke City for just under $3 million according to Brian Sciaretta.
However, the Houston Chronicle's Jesus Ortiz immediately disputed that report with quotes from Dynamo team president Chris Canetti saying that the MLS has has not agreed to a deal that would send Cameron to Stoke City:
MLS hasn't agreed to sell Cameron yet. "It’s definitely not true that MLS has agreed to sell Geoff to Stoke City," Canetti said.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 13, 2012
More Canetti on Cameroni: "League officials will continue to talk to Stoke at least through the weekend to see if a deal could be reached."
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 13, 2012
The MLS has tried to convince Cameron to stay in the MLS, but he feels that he has outgrown the MLS and wants to take his career to the EPL. Cameron is also grateful for his time he spent in the league with the Dynamo:
"I've loved it here in Houston these last five years, five seasons," he said. "But I think what's the best for my career and for what I want to do in my life, I want to take the next step. These opportunities don't come often."
That's not to say Cameron isn't grateful for the opportunity he got with the Dynamo.
"I can't thank Dom (Kinnear), (former Dynamo assistant) John Spencer and the staff enough for what they did and Chris Canetti too for what they've done for me to get me up to be put in this position," Cameron said. "But obviously it benefits both of us if I leave and they get money to spend on other players."
The Dynamo are fine in sending Cameron to Stoke City, because they will receive a portion of the transfer fee, but with the MLS being a single-entity league the deal must go through the MLS since they own all of the contracts. Some feel that the MLS maybe trying to over value Cameron as they have done in the past with other players to land a few more bucks.
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