Hide Your Wingers: Your guide to the last 24 hours

Well, you can’t say they aren’t at least trying.

The MLS Secondary Transfer Window comes to a close tonight when the clock rolls over to 12:00 am Thursday morning. With that, rosters are locked for any players already under contract. Sure, free agents can still be signed but those will be fewer and less frequent than the rash of signings you expect in a normal transfer window.

While most of us were still recovering from the Great Monday Tweetstorm of 2017, Minnesota’s front office had different ideas, announcing one signing and reporters breaking two other signing stories in short order.

Alex Kapp (GK)

Alex Kapp, who has trained with the team for a number of weeks, is officially a Loon as Minnesota United signed the young keeper to a contract.

With John Alvbage out the door, the pick up makes sense. Patrick McClain remains the third string keeper.

Jose Leitón (DEF/MID)

Signing Kapp was a nice surprise, if a somewhat underwhelming one. Little did we know that another rumor would quickly surface, this one involving a speedy winger that could make an immediate impact.

Ethan Finley (MID)

Sure, we’re apparently interested in one winger already. But who’s to say we can’t sign another?

Paul Tenorio broke this story, reporting that somewhere around $300,000 in a combination of TAM/GAM will be required to buy the Columbus Crew winger’s services.

The price seems fair for a proven starter, particularly because the allocation money is split over two years.

Finlay has also made a few appearances for the USMNT, meaning he could conceivably become our club’s first national team representative.

This team never met a winger it didn’t want to sign, evidently.

Matthieu Flamini (MID)

Rueter later reporter that United were offered former Arsenal midfielder Matthieu Flamini but ultimately passed.

While certainly a player with a pedigree, Flamini is problematic for a number of reasons. First, he is valued pretty highly and would almost certainly command a DP-level salary. The front office has been pretty up front about targeting this winter for our first DP signing.

Additionally, Flamini is an older player and is notoriously fiery on the pitch. For a club that needs stable starters week in and week out, I’d be surprised to see them spend big on someone that could yet find himself on a suspension this season for yellow card accumulation or a straight red.

That said, Flamini is a free agent, which means he could still be signed after tomorrow’s trade deadline. Once again, I really hope he isn’t but the front office absolutely could.

Kevin Parsemain (FWD)

Rueter’s day was evidently an unending torrent of rumors from all fronts. He also reported the Martinician striker Kevin Parsemain

Portland’s Mystery Man (?)

Many fans will remember the club trading away promising keeper Jeff Attinella in exchange for Miguel Ibarra’s rights. That trade paved the way for the Loons to bring Ibarra back to MLS and sign him as part of their inaugural roster.

Well, the embers between United and the Timbers have once started to smoke.

Is there fire where there is smoke? Hard to say.

Here’s the thing: Adrian pretty clearly doesn’t want to play Ibarra. He’s been riding the bench more the further into this season we’ve come. Last match, Heath didn’t even acknowledge Ibarra as he was subbed off, a huge red flag.

Could this be a trade involving Miguel? Sure. It could also be a trade involving Pokemon cards for all we know. Without a little more information, it’s really tough to judge who we could be targeting.

That said, a good chunk of that team looks like an upgrade for an injured and shallow United side.

Take anything that comes from this Twitter account with a Buck Hill-sized pile of salt. They’re pretty consistently dead wrong or at least inaccurate. That said, if this develops into something substantial today it sure would be interesting.

Ronaldinho (MID)

There’s just not much to say on this one except, “Sweet sassafras, please no.”

Parting thoughts

After beginning with the dual signing of Nicholson and Boxall, this secondary transfer window is sure ending with a bang.

Will it be enough to move the needle on a dismal Loons season that has them sitting just above last place? Who knows.