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With less than 24 hours until the secondary transfer window closes, it appears as though the Loons have made a significant roster move. According to FourFourTwo’s Paul Tenorio, Minnesota United is set to acquire winger Ethan Finlay from Columbus in exchange for an allocation package that contains both general allocation and targeted allocation money.
Hearing #CrewSC MF Ethan Finlay set to be traded to @MNUFC for combo of GAM/TAM, according to multiple league sources.
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) August 9, 2017
Finlay, who was born in Duluth, MN, has been a constant presence in the Crew’s starting eleven since 2014. His breakout campaign came in 2015 when he netted 12 goals and provided 13 assists for a Columbus squad that lost in MLS Cup to the Portland Timbers.
In addition to his success in Columbus, the former Creighton Blue Jay has also represented the United States National Team three times in the past year and a half.
Initial amount I am hearing is $300k GAM/TAM split over two years, but details still being finalized, per sources.
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) August 9, 2017
Minnesota United’s allocation package that’s rumored to be sent to Columbus is $300,000, which is about half as much as the team spent to secure the services of Kevin Molino in January.
Finlay hasn't been in great form for Columbus in 2017 as he’s scored just one goal and added one assist in just shy of 1300 minutes of game time. Despite his lackluster campaign, he should be a foundational player in a Loons attack that has been inconsistent at best in their inaugural MLS campaign.
News of this seemingly done deal is surprising due to the fact that the team was linked to Costa Rican winger Jose Leiton earlier today.