Everton and U.S. National Team Goalkeeper Tim Howard could be returning home to Major League Soccer, at least according to NBC Sports.
The 36-year-old Howard, who has been at Goodison Park since joining from Manchester United in 2006, has been heavily criticized by Everton supporters this season.
According to the article:
If all goes to plan in negotiations between Everton and MLS then Howard could sign this month but would only move to Colorado in May following the conclusion of the 2015-16 Premier League season.
Howard is under contract at Everton until 2018 but his backup Joel Robles has earned plaudits for recent cup wins, and Toffees manager Roberto Martinez couldn’t rule out a move away from Goodison Park this summer for the United States international.
Asked if Howard would still be with Everton next season, Martinez said,
“It is impossible to say that. We need to take it game by game and week by week.
“I want Tim to feel stronger in every game. Watching him in training, I don’t see a sign of weakness or him being worn down or tired. It is the opposite. “He is up for the challenge, up for helping the team and keeping up standards. I’m sure every experience will affect what you want to do in the summer.
Further reinforcing the notion that Howard could be on the brink of a headline grabbing move back to MLS, last Monday the Rapids announced they had traded starting goalkeeper Clint Irwin to Toronto FC for targeted allocation money, their highest natural third round selection in this year’s MLS SuperDraft and a conditional first round selection in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Plus Colorado currently holds the number one allocation ranking in MLS after making a trade with the Chicago Fire for that position less than two weeks ago.
That means any current U.S. national team player looking to sign with the league will be offered to them first and Colorado’s VP of soccer operations, Paul Bravo, has been quoted as saying that the move up to No. 1 in the allocation order is
“the most significant deal we’ve done in this club’s history.”
That says it all to me. Probably the best American goalkeeper of all-time is heading back to America and that is good news for MLS fans.
