Offseason News & Notes

Here are some things I was able to find out related to the draft and offseason in general:

• Robbie Findley reportedly NOT on trial, but simply training with Brøndby in Denmark. Of course, a big word of caution here as Clint Mathis was reportedly only training with RSL last season before joining the club. Findley is training with the clun with RSL's full blessing.
• RSL still looking for attacking players: striker and left-sided midfielder.
  
• "6 or 7 players" that Real has serious interest in. We are quite far along with this players: determining their interest, scouting, understanding their market value, etc. Now trying to determine best fit and negotiate.
  
• Looking primarily in S. America and Europe.
  
• Signings could come between now and the end of the month, but also AFTER transfer window closes, as there may be a drop in market value in certain cases.
• Team would like to avoid having a player come in just before the season "ala Kenny Deuchar" from last season.
  
• Beckerman likely RSL's starting holding midfielder for 2009.
• Robbie Russell will be out "through March" after having rotator cuff surgery in the offseason.
• The Dema deal had been in the works for a couple of months, but the draft put some pressure on this. Lagerway was afraid that Chivas and LA were going to take Lahoud and Alexandre ahead of RSL. Trading Dema to LA lessened the pressure for LA to take a holding midfielder and allowed Alexandre to fall to #12. It worked!