There has been a lot of talk about Keven Aleman this year. The u17 prospect was a star at the CONCACAF qualifying tournament, but was later released by Toronto FC because he refused to sign a letter of intent to commit for two years in the academy.
The Reds were criticised for that decision by many. How could they let a young, local talent like that walk, it was asked.
Today, Paul Mariner shot back at that criticism while talking to John Molinaro of CBC.ca
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He went on:Why is Keven Aleman so special? He's not. Every single player at the club is as important to us as the designated player, as the captain, as the super star, as whoever. It doesn't matter. It's the principle of the matter.
You can read the whole thing here.We have to make a stand because if one of the players from Manchester United or Barcelona said 'I'm just going to hold off, I'm going to go to the World Cup first and see what my options are,' what would happen? Those clubs wouldn't accept that. So why should it be different for Toronto FC?
Mariner is absolutely right. Aleman is a great prospect, but that’s all he is right now. For four years, TFC has been a revolving door of an organization with weak and occasional random leadership at the top. If the club is to ever turn the corner it needs to fix that. It needs to not be a pushover to every talented player that bats his eyes at it.
The most important change TFC will do this year is in the front office culture. This decision is part of that needed change.
That’s not to say they should be inflexible with Aleman if he is looking to rejoin the club after the u17 World Cup. He’s a kid. He probably had an agent in his ear. He’s been convinced, likely, that he can make more money, more quickly, in Europe. He might be right.
If he finds that he’s not then he knows what he needs to do to rejoin TFC – sign a two year commitment. Such a contract would not be out of the ordinary in the rest of the world.
And it’s not unreasonable here either.