The deal to transfer the Houston Dynamo's Geoff Cameron to Premier League side Stoke City has been agreed to in principle, according to Dynamo president Chris Canetti. The terms of the deal remain unknown, but completion of the deal is contingent on Cameron coming to personal terms with his potential new club and obtaining a European Union work permit.
“We feel that all things considered, including Geoff’s desire to move on, now was the right time to do this if the right deal was in place — which we now have,” Canetti told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday. “The transfer agreement we will sign is pending the player reaching a contract with Stoke City and the player obtaining a work permit.”
Talks of the move began in earnest three weeks ago when the Potters submitted an offer to MLS for the 27-year-old Cameron.
Since the initial offer, the negotiations have been up and down as the two sides worked to close a gap reportedly around $1 million in the transfer fee.
“Anyone that’s involved in these types of things knows this is typical of how the process normally plays out,” Canetti said. “It never really goes as quick as anyone wants and nor is it as simple and easy as everyone wants.
On Tuesday, Canetti received word from the league that a verbal agreement had been made and Cameron has been given permission to open talks with Stoke on his personal contract and start the work-permit process, which could involve a date with an appeals court considering Cameron does not meet the requirement of having appeared in 75 percent of the USMNT’s matches in the last two years.
Until those hurdles are cleared, Cameron will remain on the books with the Dynamo.
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
