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Rumor has it that there is an offer on the table from a first division European club for Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis. Where does this rumor come from? Alberth Elis himself. Elis told Honduran TV outlet Deportes TVC that there was an offer on the table for him and that he was waiting for the Dynamo to call him and tell him they accept.
Here is the video of Alberth Elis talking about the European interest for those who are interested and understand spanish. pic.twitter.com/0I67mD1npd
— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) January 6, 2019
As the rumor gained steam it was reported by MLS Transfers twitter account that the club that made the bid could be Celtic FC of the Scottish Premiership with an offer around $6.8 million. There are also reports that the club in question could be Fenerbache of the Turkish Super Lig.
Yeah I saw someone on twitter said Celtic offered a $6.8M transfer fee for Alberth Elis. Does that make any sense to you? https://t.co/0jauoGRyh9
— MLS Transfers (@MLSTransfers) January 6, 2019
Dos fuentes confiables me cuentan que el Fenerbahçe S.K. está negociando para adquirir a Albert Elis por una cifra de dinero amplía. Parece haber un preacuerdo con "La Panterita" pero Houston Dynamo no ha aceptado por el momento. #MLS #Dynamo
— Niko Moreno (@ELROLONW) January 7, 2019
If the bid was made, whether it is $6.8 million and the Dynamo are negotiating with Celtic, Fenerbache, or anyone else, it begs the question: should the front office take the deal? Since his arrival ahead of the 2017 season coming on loan from Monterrey Elis has been an integral part of Wilmer Cabrera’s Dynamo. The forward, known for his pace, has scored 21 goals and assisted on 14 in 56 regular season games since he put on orange.
The front office has been incredibly active this offseason to increase depth at key positions which likely didn’t include coming up with a major replacement for Elis. They signed defensive midfielder Matías Vera to be either depth for 2017 team MVP Juan David Cabezas or a partner to Cabezas. Last season right back was an area of concern so the front office made a trade for Chris Duvall of the Montreal Impact. Center back was another area the Dynamo needed to improve so they signed Aljaž Struna from Palermo.
Losing Elis so close to the start of the season could be a huge blow to a club looking to rebound after a down year in league play while also competing in CONCACAF Champions League. However, potentially not doing the deal (other than for financial benefits) could see a disgruntled Elis which could affect his performance on the pitch as well as his attitude in the locker room.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that Elis and his agent are trying to gauge interest from abroad while letting the Dynamo know his intentions to leave for Europe. If the Dynamo do sell the direct replacement could be Ronaldo Peña or newcomer Tommy McNamara.
Elis is not the first Dynamo player on this roster to have ambitions to play overseas. Fellow countryman Romell Quioto also publicly stated his desire to play in Europe. Should the Dynamo lose both – there’s no indication that will happen at this time – they’ll be dealt a huge blow to their offense which centered around Quioto and Elis’s pace and creativity on the wings.
So what do you think of these rumors? Is there any truth to them or is it all posturing by Elis and his agent? If there is European interest should the Dynamo pull the trigger on the deal, up the asking price, or risk having an unhappy player on the roster? This is a business and the Dynamo will need to maximize what’s best for them – whether that’s selling a top player or keeping him remains to be seen.