Let the Besler Transfer Speculation Begin

It was to be expected given his play the last few years and after a stellar World Cup, but it stil hits with a shock that Matt Besler could be on his way out of Kansas City. The Sporting KC captain and center back has been making the media rounds today after the USA's elimination from the World Cup. Locally though all the talk has been about Besler's future. Sporting's CEO, Robb Heineman said today that the club has received "enormous interest" in Besler from teams around the world (the club has also received interest in Graham Zusi as well).

Heineman confessed today to the KC Star that "there's a strong possibility that could happen (a transfer overseas) based on the interest that's out there."

If Besler is going to move, it looks like it's going to be a quick process, Besler's agent, Eddie Rock said that if it happens, it would happen "probably within the next 10 days." So there's going to be no dwelling on the situation.

Besler's agent said that there's really only three options for Besler at this point, signing an extension with Sporting, transferring to an EPL club, or transferring to a Bundesliga club. All three would likely see Besler get a pay raise from his current salary, with the moves abroad likely seeing him get a larger pay raise.

Any transfer fee for Besler would probably need to be one of the biggest in team history (Eddie Johnson to Fulham in early 2008 was close to $6,000,000).

I'd love to keep Besler here in KC, but if he wants to move I'd be happy for him to get the move and the pay raise that he deserves. I also understand that there's a point where keeping him here becomes cost prohibitive to KC. It's about making the right decision. Would signing Besler to a DP contract keep KC from signing other important players to contracts that keep them in KC? If so it begins to become a question of Besler's importance vs ability to replace.

Either way it's going to be an interesting next few weeks for Sporting KC as the Besler rumors come in and grow.