All signs point to the final stages of the Reggie Cannon transfer saga being near completion. The deal is far enough along that Cannon is no longer playing for FC Dallas and we don’t expect to see him again unless his move falls apart.
But it does seem like it’s taking a long time to get the deal across the finish line. Perhaps a few details will make it clear why that is.
By now, most of you will have read the reports that I can confirm are accurate – according to my sources, it’s Boavista FC that is the Portuguese team Cannon is potentially transferring to. *shock face*
But back on August 14th, I mentioned a french team was interested in Cannon and was talking transfer numbers with FCD that met the Texas club’s valuation. That team, say my sources – a team that has been guessed by multiple people – is Lille OSC.
Yet Lille – known for astute transfer dealings and player development – already has a right back transfermarkt.us says is worth $17.6 million: Zeki Celik.
And that’s why Boavista is involved. Lille is interested in Cannon for a season or two down the line. In the meantime, they want to stash him at Boavista, a club that is being partially purchased by Lille’s owner Gérard Lopez.
So while the relationship is obvious, the mechanics are not. Who’s paying how much of Cannon’s transfer and salary is, I’m sure, part of the slow nature of this transfer. Lille buy and a loan to Boavista? Partial or shared buy? Boavista buy and eventually sale/loan to Lille? How much of a sell-on percentage does FCD want? These things are complicated when it’s just two teams, add a third and it convolutes even more.
The Lille interest is also why I can confirm that at least one of the Belgium clubs interested in Cannon was indeed SV Zulte Waregem. Aside from it being 28 miles by car from Lille’s stadium to Essevee‘s, there have been a few loans from Lille to Zulte Waregem as well, like Soualiho Meïté and Junior Malanda.
As for the Russian team that came in for Cannon, I haven’t gotten their name. But my sources said the offer was enough to gum up the works a bit even while it’s not a league or nation I would recommend for Cannon.
So stay tuned, hopefully Cannon’s move will be done soon.
From a Boavista supporter: Reggie Cannon would be an absolute success here. Currently he has literally no competition for the right back position (Boavista lost both right backs). Actually, he’s miles away from our previous right backs and has the potential to turn into one of the best in this position in the Portuguese league.
Our league would also be a perfect stepping stone into European football for him. The pace is much faster than the MLS (as all European leagues are), but a bit slower than the major European leagues, like the French one. He’d also have the chance to play against some major European teams, like Porto, Benfica or Braga.