Where there is smoke, there is fire! The Vancouver Whitecaps traded midfielder Tony Tchani to the Chicago Fire on Wednesday in exchange for $150,000 in 2018 Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
“I’m pleased for Tony. And I’m sad for Tony. We have a very good relationship,” Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson said. Robinson was teammates with Tchani at Toronto FC.
“Tony came in last year at this time and did very well for us,” he added. “He was part of a successful team here last year and was fully committed. Sometimes, you have to make some difficult decisions, but I decided to pull the [trigger] for this trade because [the Fire] wanted him. He’s going to be able to play regular football there, more than he might be here. So it was the right deal for Tony.”
Tchani played 27 of 30 possible MLS regular season games with the Whitecaps last season, scoring four goals and one assist, but was left out in the decisive final regular season game against the Portland Timbers and the second leg of the MLS Cup semifinal against the Seattle Sounders.
With Russell Teibert having a strong preseason camp and the possibility of acquiring TAM for Tchani just before the MLS Roster Compliance deadline this Thursday meant that the Whitecaps were more than happy to make this deal.
Re the Jordon Mutch chatter. I can confirm that he is in Vancouver and expect an announcement on his signing tomorrow once all the technicalities have been taken care of today. #VWFC
— AFTN (@aftncanada) March 1, 2018
The $150,000 acquired for Tchani will now be used to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Jordon Mutch on a 12-month loan deal. ESPN FC first reported the deal, and with Mutch already in Vancouver, a deal is expected to be announced by the Whitecaps within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Mutch is a 26-year-old attacking minded box-to-box midfielder, who was among Cardiff City’s best players during the club’s brief stint in the Premier League by scoring seven goals and six assists during the 2013-14 season. His performance, however, was not enough to keep the club in the league and he has since become a journeyman playing for Queen’s Park Rangers, Cyrstal Palace and Reading – on loan from Palace – during the last four seasons.
A former U-21 England national team player Mutch will now add plenty of experience to Vancouver’s midfield, as the Whitecaps continue their preseason reshuffle with Vancouver expected to make further deals in the coming days.