Orlando City
Transfer Rumors: Ex-Revs Center Back A.J. Soares Training with Orlando City
The Lions are reportedly taking a look at a potential addition to the back line.
According to a social media report from ESPN soccer columnist Jeffrey Carlisle, former New England Revolution center back A.J. Soares is training with Orlando City.
The Revs still own the MLS rights to the 27-year-old, who played for Viking Stavanger FK in Norway’s Tippeligaen during the 2015-16 season. Soares played 12 league matches and three cup games with Viking during this past season. The California product spent four seasons with the Revs, appearing in 108 matches and scoring six goals.
Soares, who is soon to be out of contract, is a versatile defender with MLS experience and has played in an MLS Cup final in 2014, starting alongside Jose Goncalves in a 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy. He would be a good addition to the Lions in a position of need, but the club would obviously have to work out a trade with New England for his rights.
According to our friends at The Bent Musket, Soares made a base salary of $120,000 during his final season with the Revs and a total of $160,000 guaranteed.
With the summer transfer window coming up, could a deal be in the works? As far as transfer rumors are concerned, this one makes a lot of sense for Orlando City, which has already been linked with center backs Dionatan Teixeira and Gavin Gunning.
There’s been so much smoke about signing a center back this summer that there is almost certainly fire lurking somewhere beneath it all. We’ll continue to follow this story as it develops.