Minnesota United has signed two new players — center back Nicolas Romero and midfielder Hoyeon Jung — with another addition anticipated soon.
“I think then we will hold, and see in the couple of weeks a little bit more what happens,” Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad said Tuesday. “Obviously, our (transfer) window is open a little bit longer (until April 23). We’ll see if anything happens moving out. There’s still quite a lot of interest to some of our players. We received a lot of offers for some of our players that we said no to.”
El-Ahmad added there could be more additions coming but said, “but (I’m) really comfortable with the core that we have here. And again, we feel quite happy with the steps to continue to improve” each transfer window.
The next signing is expected to be 21-year-old French midfielder Owen Gene with Amiens in Ligue 2. He would be eligible as an Under-22 Initiative signing.
On Romero and Jung, El-Ahmad said: “These are not unproven players. They come with a level of experience that I think will help us improve.”
MNUFC pursued former LAFC mid Eduard Atuesta, but the Colombian playing with Palmeiras in Brazil is expected to join Orlando City.
Update on Dotson
El-Ahmad publicly responded to the news of midfielder Hassani Dotson requesting a trade on Jan. 24. Dotson has remained in training sessions with the Loons and started the preseason friendly against Real Salt Lake last week.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s Hassani who says he doesn’t want to be here,” El-Ahmad said, an apparent reference to Dotson’s agent. “What goes out in media from whatever the party is, is for them to stand by. I think internally, (it’s been) all calm, good conversations.”
The two most likely conclusions would be the Loons either trade Dotson to another MLS club or Dotson signs a more-lucrative contract extension with Minnesota. His contract, which was picked up by MNUFC in the offseason, runs out at the end of 2025.
Kmet on way out
United is planning to move on from another defender.
Diminutive Slovakian fullback Matus Kmet — who didn’t play one minute in MLS last season — is expected to head out on loan to Gornik Zabrze in Poland. He did not train with Loons in Blaine on Tuesday.
When he arrived in Minnesota last August, Kmet, then 23, was deemed in need of more development and better fitness, head coach Eric Ramsay said at the time.
El-Ahmad said Tuesday that Kmet was also a victim of poor timing, coming into MNUFC when every game was deemed vital for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. That period is near when Bongi Hlongwane took over at right wingback.
“It was really hard to break in,” El-Ahmad said. “And if you look over the 12 games we had left, I think Bongi played every minute, so it was timing of it, then Kmet’s adaptation (to MLS and U.S.). Again, young guy from a smaller town-ish (team) in Slovakia; that just kind of added to it. Then he got a little bit of (a leg) injury.”
Last June, MNUFC and El-Ahmad sent Swedish center back Victor Eriksson back to his native country and club Hammarby. He played only 166 minutes in MLS last season.
“Like with Victor Eriksson, when it necessarily doesn’t work out, we’re proactive,” El-Ahmad said. “Still a good player, because there’s a lot of interest in Europe.”
Briefly
Morris Duggan won the “beep” fitness test on Tuesday. Fellow young center back Britton Fischer won it before the club made its trip to Santa Barbara in mid-January. … The Loons’ three friendlies in the Coachella Valley Invitational will be streamed on the club’s website: Sporting Kansas City at 1:30 p.m. Sunday; L.A. Galaxy at 1 p.m. Feb. 12; and New York City at 4 p.m. Feb. 15. … MNUFC Academy player Aidan Martinez of Austin, Minn., will play college soccer for Wisconsin starting next fall. … Zarek Valentin has become the host of Sound of the Loons podcast, replacing Kyndra de St. Aubin. … Jeremy Hall returns to be head coach of MNUFC2.
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