New Contract Coming for Zusi

Earlier this season there were rumors circulating that Sporting KC was trying to get Graham Zusi signed to a new long term deal with the club. Those rumors fell away shortly after that, and then Zusi had solid performances for the USA in a number of World Cup qualifiers, solidifying himself in Jurgen Klinsmann's starting 11. With that happening, thoughts turned away from rumors of signing him to an extension and instead turned to how long he'd be here before making the jump to Europe.

It seemed inevitable that Zusi would leave for Europe sooner than later.  The thought was that if we were lucky he'd be here through the World Cup to help him keep his place on the US World Cup team.

That has changed today though with news from Brian Sciaretta on Yanks Abroad.  Sciaretta reported tonight that Zusi had signed a new contract with Sporting KC, that was pending league approval.

If that didn't get you excited enough, then after that article surfaced, Robb Heineman took to Twitter:

Hope u r ok w @gzusi being around for awhile.  I REALLY wanted to leak this, but agents.....anyway....ZEUS!!!! #WowI'mHappy #thanksMyFriend
— Robb Heineman (@RobbHeineman) June 28, 2013

The confirmation of Sciaretta's story lifts fans spirits about Zusi's history in KC.  And while Zusi can still leave, the signing of a new deal likely raises the transfer fee quite a bit with the extra years on the contract.

The question would be now what Zusi's new contract is worth.  In February of 2012, Zusi signed a new contract with Sporting KC that upped his salary from about $42,000 a year to over $100,000 a year.

So what does this contract bump Zusi to?  I'm not sure it'll bump him all the way to DP level, but I think it at least probably puts him into the $250,000 to $300,000 per year.  Which would still be a very nice bump in salary for the former Maryland man.

Per Tod Palmer with the KC Star, the extension is a 3 year extension, keeping him in KC through the 2017 season if he stays through the end of the contract.