UPDATED 16/2:
Looking at Vancouver Whitecaps' offseason transition, the glaring holes in the squad have continued to lie in the midfield and in securing strong right back cover. Both of these issues may now be solved in one fell swoop, but will it bring some fresh problems of its own?
Last season saw disappointing dominance, production and creative flair from the midfielders, and love him or loathe him, the departure of Barry Robson only weakened this further.
The excitement generated by the addition of Japanese playmaker Daigo Kobayashi is all well and good, but he can't be expected to do everything on his own and clearly further additions and strengthening of the midfield were needed.
As <a href="http://www.prostamerika.com/?p=76678" target="_blank">Prost Amerika</a> first reported Thursday, the man the Whitecaps have pinpointed to help fill in some of the missing midfield puzzle pieces is former England U21 international Nigel Reo-Coker.
And that deal to bring the former West Ham and Aston Villa star to Vancouver is now close to being finalised. The Whitecaps have now made an offer to the player but are still awaiting the official acceptance. Barring any more snafus, Reo-Coker is expected to join up with the Caps in Charleston midweek.
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Nigel's future was as good as sealed when Portland Timbers finally stopped being the main stumbling block to the deal in time for the Caps imposed noon deadline on Friday. Martin Rennie played hardball and got his man.
The Caps have had productive discussions with Reo-Coker and his agent for the past week, but there has been a series of delays as a result of Portland holding the player's discovery rights. Prost reported that the Timbers made an offer to the player, but it wasn't deemed acceptable and after discussions with Martin Rennie, he only wanted to head north to Vancouver, citing the greater professionalism shown by the Whitecaps.
As you can see from the photo above, he's already bought a hat in preparation.
Apart from the Cascadian rivals, no other MLS teams had made Reo-Coker an offer. What the whole sorry situation has shown is just how flawed the discovery rights process is, but that's one for another day.
Reo-Coker has played at the top level of the club game in England, with European experience in several UEFA Cup matches. He has also won international honours, earning 23 U21 Caps for England. He captained that side and has also had spells as captain at West Ham, Aston Villa and Bolton. He was also named on standby for the senior England World Cup squad in 2006.
He's a central midfielder, more defensive, but very much a box to box player with the ability and pace to tear forward (although some fans of his most recent clubs may disagree with that summary!). He can also play on the right wing and even right back if the need arose, and has played a lot of his career out of position. Versatility and experience much needed in Vancouver's squad right now.
The 28 year old is currently a free agent and will initially make the move to Vancouver on a lower salary, with a move to Designated Player status next season if the signing proves to be successful. Basically, it's a year's trial to impress before paying out the big bucks, which is sensible and should give Vancouver a player very eager to impress.
The Caps are likely to pick him up for under $300,000 in the first year, which would be excellent business for a player with his track record.
It's a move beneficial to both parties and we've already seen enough failure to perform with some of the Caps other big money signings of late that it's worth taking a wait and see approach this time.
Reo-Coker's recent form, and past problems, could see him being very hit or miss in MLS, but with the potential to be just what the team is needing.
The Whitecaps are getting a player who will be known to many, but he's far from being a household name. Rightly or wrongly, the fact that he has 205 appearances and seven seasons in the English Premiership will be enough to excite some in the Vancouver fanbase and immediately put pressure on him to perform.
More importantly, the Caps are getting a player who at 28 is still in his prime, with hopefully a lot left to give, and not another UK player coming to the end of his career and looking for one last payday. Reo-Coker still hopes to force himself back into international reckoning, whether that may be with England, Sierra Leone or the US, most probably the latter.
He was most recently linked with a move to EPL side West Brom, but also with some League One sides. He also turned down a chance to play in Turkey with Süper Lig sides Bursaspor and Kasimpasa in the summer, and Dinamo Moscow, Sevilla and Hamburg were reportedly interested, but no deals were forthcoming.
So his talents have been in demand it would appear and the fact that he has chosen to make Vancouver his new home says a lot about Martin Rennie and the Whitecaps right now, especially as they're not splashing the cash from the outset.
He's an experienced and versatile player who can be the right sort of leader on the park. One that doesn't have to wave his arms around and berate his teammates to get his points across.
He has been described as being both a strong character and moody in the past and there have been some issues at his previous clubs, where there has seemingly been some <a href="http://www.lionofviennasuite.com/2013/1/13/3871900/nigel-reo-coker-fans-aston-villa-west-ham-united-bolton-wanderers-ipswich-town" target="_blank">bitterness</a> on both sides. He also isn't afraid to call out his fellow players, as his Ipswich team-mates <a href="http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/nigel_reo_coker_lays_into_town_team_mates_i_haven_t_come_here_to_be_made_to_look_like_a_fool_1_1684126" target="_blank">found out</a> during his loan spell there last year. This can play out both good and bad. You would have to think that the Caps will have learned from Robson's mistakes and will advise him accordingly.
Those familiar with Reo-Coker's career may remember him being tagged as part of the "Baby Bentley Club" at West Ham during some turmoil when high profile players were accused of being more interested in the money and lifestyle than playing for the cause.
You always worry about UK players seeing MLS as some kind of cash cow but coming to Vancouver for lower money, coupled with this recent <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4563464/Nigel-Reo-Coker-slams-agents.html" target="_blank"><b>interview</b></a>, where he slams agents for touting him for too much money and stresses there is more to his footballing decisions than financial rewards now that he is a married man, shows a more mature side of the player.
It has been six years since those earlier days, so hopefully that will allay the fears of some. Martin Rennie also seems to like to take players with past issues under his wing.
Whilst at Bolton, Reo-Coker played in the infamous game against Tottenham that saw Fabrice Muamba collapse. He was the first person that got to Muamba that afternoon and helped out on the pitch. An incident like that is bound to make you re-evaluate your life and what you want from it, something I'm sure he'll be questioned about a lot when he gets to Vancouver.
For the player, a move to MLS will help him get his career back on track after his star has perhaps started to wane after the promise of his early career. Reo-Coker himself feels that he is <i>"just reaching the peak of my game"</i> right now.
It's a career that started in the youth ranks at Wimbledon before making the first team for the Wombles and a subsequent transfer to West Ham for £575,000 in 2004.
After three and half years at Upton Park, including a promotion campaign and FA Cup final appearance, Reo-Coker was transferred to Aston Villa for £8.5 million, where he spent four full seasons.
After a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/8263129.stm" target="_blank">training ground bust up with manager Martin O'Neill</a> in 2009, he fell out of favour before reviving his Villa career when Gerard Houllier took over as manager the next season.
He joined Bolton for a year when his contract expired at Villa Park, playing in all bar one of their Premiership games, but triggered a relegation release clause in his contract when they went down last season. Ironically, he then found himself in the Championship anyway with Ipswich Town on a three month deal, making 11 goalless appearances, the last of which came in the FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa on January 5th.
Ipswich saw him as no more than a squad player and their offer of another short term contract on a reduced salary was rejected by a player who still feels he has a lot to offer at the top level.
The question now for the Whitecaps is does he?
Will this be another Andy O'Brien style pick up or another foreign flop? The Whitecaps really can't afford the latter, from a performance and a PR point of view. Any attitude or disharmony in the dressing room also cannot be tolerated.
As a fan of both of his London sides, I saw Reo-Coker in both his youthful glory and in a bit of a form slump, and although he has never been prolific in the goals department (just 23 in 382 overall club appearances, with him often playing defensive roles), he certainly adds a bit of flair and some much needed authority in the midfield.
He is/was fast, and as long as that hasn't deserted him, will add yet another speed factor to Vancouver's attack, whether through the middle or up the right wing. It's also good that he would be coming to Vancouver in his mid-season, hopefully meaning he is fit and ready to go from the off. We can't afford any more passengers taking weeks to get up to game shape.
A midfield trio of Reo-Coker, Kobayashi and Koffie certainly has an exciting feel to it. Add in some pace on the left wing and we're looking dangerous. Slotting him in as right back, even to cover Lee's rest days, with Alain Rochat as defensive mid, and we're then looking tight and fast on the wings.
Reo-Coker describes himself as <a href="http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3069748,00.html" target="_blank"><i>"someone who gets emotionally involved everywhere I go"</i></a> and he would certainly be coming to a market where he will find love back if he produces on the pitch and gives his all for the club. If being the key word there.
He loves being part of a club that feels like family and must be happy in his work. He had that at Wimbledon and he had that at Villa, both were clubs where he arguably performed at his best. Vancouver should be an ideal fit and as such, hopefully we would see a return to that form of old.
The addition of Reo-Coker takes the Caps MLS squad to 27. Factor in goalkeeper Simon Thomas (and the fact that Honduran media are still reporting the transfer of defender Johnny Leverón as a done deal), and that's not leaving much opportunities for the likes of Ben Fisk, Dever Orgill and the other trialists to make the cut, or much wiggle room for the Whitecaps to do much else.
It would also raise questions as to the roles in the squad of the likes of Jun Marques Davidson and Jordan Harvey. If Leverón also comes, then you have to add Carlyle Mitchell to that list.
With the recent failures of high profile signings in Vancouver, the signing of Nigel Reo-Coker would be heavily scrutinised from day one. There won't be a lot of time given to him to settle in from some quarters, but he strikes me as the kind of player that will thrive on such a scenario and I like the leadership qualities he will bring to the team, as long as he leaves any attitude back in England.
He has/had the ability to make a big impact in this League. Whether he still has it or is on a downward career spiral is what we now need to see. The latter would be a disaster for the Caps as we've said.
Good players don't become bad players overnight, but we've seen enough UK players struggle in MLS to have genuine concerns as to how this could go. There have obviously also been successes, and the Nigel Reo-Coker of old certainly had the skills to be another one of those.
Where would he fit into the Whitecaps team?
The natural answer that jumps out is defensive mid, allowing Rochat to return to left back and Lee to right back.
Don't be surprised though if Martin Rennie has at least an initial look at him as right back, especially if he joins up with the team in Charleston. That would keep an attacking presence on that wing, let Lee play left back and keep Rochat as DM, which is a position that Rennie clearly likes him in. It also would see the Caps have a good back up at least for Lee for when he doesn't travel or misses out fort other reasons.
Right back may also prove to be Reo-Coker's best position now that he is in his late 20's, and he has played it before, albeit only as cover when the need has arisen. If it works, then great, if not, then he'll find a place in midfield.
He may not be the final piece to the Whitecaps jigsaw, but if he comes here with, and maintains, the right attitude, Nigel Reo-Coker could certainly be a very important part of it.
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