Report: Dynamo make offer for Mexican international Hector Herrera

Mexico and Atletico Madrid midfielder Hector Herrera reportedly has an offer to join the Houston Dynamo and Major League Soccer. MLSsoccer.com’s Tom Bogert was the first to report on the offer. Telemundo Houston’s Luis Ortiz also confirmed the report with his source saying “there’s real interest from both parties.”

According to Bogert, an offer is on the table but a decision has not been made to accept or decline yet. Herrera would come to Houston as a Designated Player with the team currently having one of its three DP spots available (Sebastian Ferreira and Teenage Hadebe have the other two spots.) Herrera’s contract with La Liga side Atletico Madrid is up this summer which means he can sign a pre-contract now with any team (and the Dynamo would not have to pay a transfer fee.)

Herrera has struggled to find playing time in Madrid, making eighteen appearances this season with just three starts this season. Ahead of this winter’s World Cup, Herrera will likely want to stay in game-shape ahead of Mexico’s likely involvement in the tournament. The move could make sense for both Herrera and Mexico as Tata Martino would benefit from having his midfielder playing as often as possible before going to Qatar. Herrera took to his Instagram today and posted in Spanish “like I can’t realize what’s going on” with an image of him standing and looking off in the distance. Make of that what you will.

What could Herrera bring to the Dynamo? First and foremost the would be an asset on the field. Herrera will turn 32 in April but he still has some years left in him. His passing stats are incredibly high in La Liga, even in limited minutes. Houston desperately needs a link to striker Sebastian Ferreira and Herrera could bring that. Off the field, Herrera being a Mexican international can only help at the box office. It is no secret that a big-name Mexican player in Houston could mean a lot for the club’s popularity and their pocket book.

Getting Herrera on a free transfer with a salary in the $3-4 million range seems like a no-brainer at this point. Owner Ted Segal has shown that he is not afraid to open the wallet and bringing in a player like Hector Herrera can do big things for this club short-term and long-term.

We will update this story as more information about this story breaks.