D.C. United: Pros and cons of not selling Luciano Acosta
After a deadline day debacle involving Paris Saint-Germain, Luciano Acosta is still a D.C. United. Here are the pros and cons to not selling.
The European deadline day was a frantic one for D.C. United. A late move by Paris Saint-Germain for star midfielder Luciano Acosta saw the team’s assist leader on a flight to the French capital to finalise what many believed would be a blockbuster deal.
24 hours after the move was reported publicly, however, the deadline passed and Acosta was still a D.C. player.
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Some brilliant reporting by Pablo Maurer of The Athletic has revealed that issues regarding price and a mystery intermediary who claimed to be closer to PSG than he actually was — it is likely that this intermediary, who approached D.C. with a potential deal in hand, was an agent looking to get a cut of the deal — undermined the transfer. So why did D.C. not sell? And what are the pros and cons of their decision?
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Well, the first thing to note is the price. PSG reportedly offered approximately $9 million. D.C. were holding out for $13-15 million and would not budge. $9 million is a lot for any MLS club to turn down for any player. But the offer was allegedly heavy laden with incentives that could have netted D.C. as little $2-3 million once an agent(s), if such clauses exist, Boca Juniors, Acosta’s previous club, and MLS themselves all take their share of the cut.
While it is a clear negative to turn down such a substantial fee, when it is not all that actually meets the eye, perhaps D.C. were right to hold out. That said, Acosta only has a year remaining on his contract and could leave for nothing next year if a new deal is not signed. Reportedly, the club is working on a new contract, but it is a big risk to turn down this money without the player’s long-term future secured.
MLS is now a selling league. Atlanta United got top dollar for Miguel Almiron on the same day. Sebastian Giovinco was sold in a cut-price deal in the same week because his contract was set to expire and Toronto FC were keen to secure a return on his services, rather than lose him for nothing.
On the other side, keeping Acosta is the best chance that D.C. United have of winning the MLS Cup this year. Wayne Rooney is not getting any younger, and may also leave after this season, and Ben Olsen’s squad is ready to mount a real challenge against the elite clubs in the East. In the second half of last season, they proved themselves capable, with Acosta a critical part.
If the Argentine was to leave now, D.C. would have to invest in a replacement. With the offseason close to ending, there is no guarantee that D.C. could find a player capable of replicating Acosta’s dual creative and goalscoring impact.
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There are pros and cons to the D.C. decision. Ultimately, if Acosta signs a long-term deal and plays well, they will likely be able to sell him for more than PSG were offering. But if he doesn’t, he could walk for free. If that happens, the decision not to sell will be viewed extremely negatively.