Altidore worth millions

[Frank Cunha]

Altidore needs a rest
SENT HOME* Altidore to rejoin Bulls for Salzburg trip

[Frank Cunha]

still got 2 yrs left on the contract, but the offers will be coming anytime soon
NJ.com: Everything Jersey

[Calcio]

ESPNsoccernet - MLS - Altidore hailed as America's soccer prodigy

Pretty good article.

[Daniel24]

Altidore transferring to Villarreal

SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY (TICKER) —Jozy Altidore is heading overseas.

The New York Red Bulls announced Wednesday that Major League Soccer and 2007-08 Spanish La Liga runner-up Villarreal CF have agreed in principle to a transfer fee with the young striker.

The final price of Altidore’s transfer is $10 million, according to goal.com.

If those figures are accurate, the transfer fee would be a record for an American player, surpassing the $5 million paid by Fulham for Eddie Johnson.

Altidore, 18, must agree to personal contract terms and undergo a physical with Villarreal before the deal can be completed.

Altidore has three goals in eight appearances for the Red Bulls this season. In his career, he has 15 goals in 37 appearances. He also has one goal in two full international appearances for the United States.

Altidore transferring to Villarreal - MLS - Yahoo! Sports

[Daniel24]

Altidore headed for Spain after Villarreal OKs transfer

NEW YORK (AP)—Red Bulls striker Jozy Altidore appeared headed for Villarreal, with the Spanish first-division club agreeing to a transfer deal with Major League Soccer for New York’s teenage forward.

Altidore, praised by some as the United States’ best soccer prospect, still must negotiate a contract with Villarreal before he can join the club, the Red Bulls said Wednesday.

No transfer terms were released but a person with knowledge of the deal said it was worth a minimum of just under $10 million, nearly double the amount previously paid for an American when English club Sunderland bought Claudio Reyna for $5.7 million in 2001. The person could not speak for attribution because league policy is to not disclose financial terms.

Reyna transferred to the Red Bulls last season. The previous record paid for an MLS player was the $4 million Fulham paid for Clint Dempsey after the 2006 MLS season.

MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis said the transfer was negotiated relatively quickly, was a record amount for an American and that the league was under no “compulsion” to sell Altidore.

“This was a decision we and the Red Bulls took rationally, with the objective to achieve a couple of things: provide Jozy with an opportunity he’s been looking for, and more importantly from our point of view, give us resources to elevate the team and the league,” Gazidis said.

“It’s an offer we wouldn’t be accepting unless we believed the money gave us the opportunity to make the Red Bulls and MLS better. Our only motivation is that we received such value that it can let us make a step forward.”

MLS is a single-entity league in which the league owns all the contracts and pays the players out of a central fund. Teams negotiate individual contracts with league oversight.

Red Bulls spokesman Andy McGowan said Altidore, whose contract with MLS wasn’t due to expire until 2011, was unlikely to play in Thursday night’s home game against Chivas USA because of an ankle injury, but would speak about the transfer just before the match.

“I think he was happy,” Red Bulls sporting director Jeff Agoos said in describing Altidore’s reaction to the transfer. “I think every young MLS player wants to go play for a team in Europe.”

The 18-year-old Altidore already has made three appearances for the U.S. national team and scored his first goal against Mexico in February. He was a key member of the U.S. team that qualified for the Olympics in April and was expected to lead the team in Beijing.

He scored nine goals for the Red Bulls last year, his first full season in MLS, to finish eighth in the league in scoring. With his combination of speed, size and strength, he has been mentioned repeatedly as a possible transfer target since the end of last season, including Real Madrid.

Altidore leads the Red Bulls this season with three goals in eight games.

He made his U.S. national team debut in November, entering as a substitute in a 1-0 victory over South Africa in Johannesburg. He added his first goal in a 2-2 tie against Mexico in Houston, becoming the youngest player to score a goal for the United States in the modern era.

Altidore headed for Spain after Villarreal OKs transfer - MLS - Yahoo! Sports

[Daniel24]

Jozy Altidore expects to be loaned out by Villarreal

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—New York Red Bulls striker Jozy Altidore would not be surprised if Villarreal decides to loan him to another club in the Spanish League once his roughly $10 million transfer is complete.

There has been a report that Villarreal, which finished second in the Spanish League, might send the 18-year-old American to Recreativo Heulva on loan to indoctrinate him into European soccer.

“That is something that a lot of clubs do when you go to a new league,” Altidore said Thursday, a day after Major League Soccer agreed in principle to his record transfer. “It’s not easy to adjust, especially for me. I would see a little bit of a faster-paced game. It’s a bit different over there. That would not be a bad idea.”

Altidore, who has a team-high three goals in eight games with the Red Bulls this season, said Villarreal has not discussed loaning him out.

“It would be tough for me to get in there right away and contribute the way I want to,” Altidore said.

The transfer might prevent Altidore from representing the United States in the Olympics in Beijing in August. The Spanish League starts at the end of the summer, and it is likely that his new club would want him to train with it to get accustomed to his teammates.

Altidore has not spoken to Villarreal about playing in the Olympics.

While the transfer is not coming at an opportune time for the Red Bulls, it is not unexpected. There had been talk last year about a possible transfer to Real Madrid.

Talks between Villarreal, Altidore and MLS started in January, cooled off and then heated up again recently.

Altidore, who injured an ankle in practice on Monday, still has to pass a physical and reach a contract agreement with Villarreal. He is currently earning $128,333 with the Red Bulls. His new salary should jump significantly.

Players also usually earn 10 percent of the transfer fee, so he should pick up $1 million.

The transfer fee is a record for U.S. player. It is nearly double the amount that Sunderland of England paid for Claudio Reyna ($5.7 million) in 2001.

While he has always wanted to play overseas, Altidore did not go into this season thinking this would be the year it happened.

“I just wanted to be healthy and have a good year like every other year,” Altidore said. “Fortunately for me, this opportunity came up.”

Altidore said the Spanish League was second only to the English Premier League in quality of play.

“I want to be in a place where I can be challenged on a daily basis,” Altidore said.

With a rare combination of speed, size and strength, Altidore might be the best young American striker. He had nine goals last year, his first full season in MLS, finishing eighth in the league in scoring.

The Red Bulls will receive roughly $5 million from the transfer fee, but they can’t use it to sign a designated player because they already have two— Juan Pablo Angel and Reyna.

“I don’t think you can immediately replace somebody like Jozy,” sporting director Jeff Agoos said. “We have other positions we are trying to strengthen. We will try to use some of those resources in those positions.”

Finding a forward to replace Altidore will come down the road, Agoos said.

Altidore has made three appearances for the U.S. national team and scored his first goal against Mexico in February.

Altidore was disappointed leaving the Red Bulls, a team he grew up watching. He said every game he played with the team was special.

Jozy Altidore expects to be loaned out by Villarreal - MLS - Yahoo! Sports

[Daniel24]

Altidore addresses pending move to Villarreal

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker)—During a news conference prior to his New York Red Bulls’ 1-0 victory over Chivas USA on Thursday, Jozy Altidore finally addressed his pending move from MLS to Spain’s La Liga.

MLS on Wednesday reached an agreement on a transfer fee of approximately $10 million to send the forward to Villarreal.

Altidore, who did not play for the Red Bulls in Thursday’s triumph due to a sprained left ankle, first must agree to personal terms with Villarreal and pass a physical before the deal becomes complete.

Villarreal was Altidore’s top choice over other Europeans clubs such as Reading in the English Premier League.

“I chose to be there because it is a very good league,” Altidore said. “To me, I think it is second only to the Premier League. It has a lot of respect and I like the way they play the game there. I think it will be a good place for me to further develop my game.”

The 18-year-old Altidore has three goals and one assist this season for New York.

Altidore said he first was aware of Villarreal’s interest in January.

“Their interest grew more and more and, fortunately for me, it was during a time when I was playing some of my better soccer,” he said.

Altidore’s imminent departure leaves the Red Bulls with a huge void in their lineup.

“For us there is nothing I can say,” New York head coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. “I was notified by the MLS that they agreed on a transfer fee and there is little we can do now except concentrate on what’s best for our club moving forward.”

Altidore addresses pending move to Villarreal - MLS - Yahoo! Sports