Houston Dynamo: Wait until summer to sell stars

The Houston Dynamo have been busy acquiring talent for the 2019 season. But they are now in the news as they look to keep hold of their two star players, Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas. Waiting until the summer to sell, however, is imperative.

This is an important offseason for the Houston Dynamo as they will be competing in three competitions next season.

Besides a grueling Major League Soccer season, they will begin their CONCACAF Champions League journey in February and will also look to defend the cup that got them into the Champions League, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

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In order to have success in these competitions, the Dynamo must do everything in their power to keep Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas, both of whom have recently been linked with moves away from BBVA Compass Stadium.

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Both players have stated their desire to play in Europe, and it is expected that both players will eventually make the move across the pond. However, considering the importance of this season, and the lack of capable replacements on the roster, the Houston Dynamo must do everything in their power to keep their star men in Houston, at least for another year.

During a recent appearance on Honduran television, Elis revealed that there was interest from a first division European club. He also disclosed that he has asked the Dynamo to approve his departure. Fenerbahçe S.K. are reportedly the club interested in acquiring the forward, but it appears that the Dynamo has every intention of bringing the Honduran international back for the upcoming season.

Houston radio host Glenn Davis also said on his weekly radio show titled “Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis”, that there was an offer from a Serie A club for star striker Manotas. While no figure has been reported alongside the news of the Manotas offer, the European club in question has reportedly offered $6m to acquire Elis’ services. Considering that MLS would take a cut of any transfer, I would only sell Elis during this window if the fee was closer — much closer — to $10m.

Were the Dynamo to sell both men, it would be interesting to see how they would replace them. Although they have been willing to spend big on transfer fees, the Dynamo spent less on wages last season than any other MLS club, and that has been the case for the last couple of seasons. During his time in Houston, Senior Vice President/General Manager Matt Jordan has shown a preference to sign and develop young players. Such a tactic here to replace two highly productive attackers would be risky, to say the least.

One option would be to promote from within. Ronaldo Peña was acquired midway through last season, however, at this point, I don’t think that you could say with total certainty that he would be capable of replicating Manotas’ goal output. When it comes to Elis, it would be incredibly difficult to replace the dynamism and production that he brings.

The players themselves may feel that they are ready to make the jump to European football. I would not be so sure. Part of me thinks that the Dynamo should not stand in the way of fantastic opportunities. Nevertheless, both players are far from finished products.

Manotas really made a name for himself last season, but he struggled to do so in years prior. It may be in his best interests to prove that he is not a one-season wonder. Elis may be one of MLS’ most explosive weapons, but his decision-making still needs work.

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The departures of Elis and Manotas are inevitable. But the Houston Dynamo should do everything in their power to keep hold of both men for the time being and re-evaluate the situation in the summer. They need them, and replacing them is no small feat.

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