FC Cincinnati: The Jurgen Locadia conundrum

Jurgen Locadia has said that he would like to extend his stay with FC Cincinnati. But extending his current loan deal is quite the conundrum that will not be easy to solve in the current climate.

FC Cincinnati endured a disastrous first season in Major League Soccer. They entered haughty on USL dominance. They boast a terrific fanbase, one of the more financially free and stable organisations, and were expectant of big things at an early stage, especially considering the recent expansion success of sides like Atlanta and LAFC.

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Such hopes very quickly fell flat. They wasted money, fired their manager, rearranged the management systems behind the scenes, which should have been done before they even commenced MLS play, and produced one of the worst seasons in league history.

To start 2020, then, FC Cincinnati were keen to get off on the right foot. At the heart of this hoped-for resurrection was their now overhauled squad, including investing in three new Designated Players. One of the key acquisitions was Brighton centre-forward Jurgen Locadia on a six-month loan.

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Locadia had spent six months on loan at Hoffenheim during the first half of the 2019/20 European season. He scored four goals in 526 Bundesliga minutes. But with Brighton having no interest in him, another six-month loan was agreed, Cincinnati the welcome beneficiaries.

This loan, however, will expire on July 1st, when the Premier League season renews. That, of course, has now been thrown into major jeopardy. Almost sport is postponed across the world, including the Premier League and MLS. There is no guarantee that either league will resume before July 1st, thus leaving Locadia in limbo.

But when speaking to The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com, Locadia confirmed that he would like to remain in Cincinnati:

"“I like it here so far in Cincinnati and the league also. I talk with my agent also and he said at the end of the day it’s my decision, and I told him I’m happy here, so if we can figure something out with Brighton and Cincinnati, which I understand is going to be difficult, we can try and fix the situation because Cincinnati’s gotta say if they’re gonna buy me or not and I think Brighton has some work in it also. But my agent called with Brighton already and they talked about the situation and hopefully they can work something out.”"

FC Cincinnati General Manager, Gerard Nijkamp, also speaking to The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com, admitted that there are complications regarding an extension:

"“We don’t only have Jurgen and FC Cincinnati, but the most important part, a stakeholder, is Brighton & Hove Albion. And to discuss this specific situation and see what could be beneficial to all of us when we take this in mind <…> As professionals, I have to talk with them. I think they want to have a conversation also with me and I will do that in the next couple of days, to put it on the table and to try to find a solution about what’s in the best interest of all of us.”"

Nijkamp also highlights the potential warping of the summer transfer window due to the coronavirus. If the current European season is postponed by weeks and even months, what happens to the summer transfer window, which is usually scheduled between seasons? If the opening date is pushed beyond July 1st, which is almost certain at this stage, what will come of Locadia and his current loan deal?

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As you can see, it is a real conundrum that FC Cincinnati, Locadia and Brighton will have to find a solution for. But, as is the case with everything at present, finding answers in this climate is no simple task.

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