TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Reports
Could Major League Soccer’s fiercest “Panther” prowl his way to Europe this winter?
Multiple media reports are linking Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis to a transfer across the Atlantic to a major European club this month, including the player himself discussing his interest in a move on Honduran television.
Scottish heavyweights Celtic FC were rumored to be tabling a multi-million-dollar bid for Elis. But the latest reporting, highlighted by tweets from Seattle-based journalist Niko Moreno, contends that Turkish giants Fenerbahce are now leading the chase for Elis, who's scored 21 goals and 14 assists in 56 regular-season MLS appearances since joining Houston ahead of the 2017 campaign.
A Honduran international with blinding pace and flashy one-on-one dribbling skills, Elis has been a foundational element in the Dynamo lineup since his arrival, typically working from a wide attacking spot in a 4-3-3 formation. He was influential in 2017’s underdog playoff run to the Western Conference Championships stage, and while La Naranja backslid in league play last year, they enjoyed a hefty consolation prize in the form of winning the 2018 U.S. Open Cup.
A Dynamo spokesperson told MLSsoccer.com on Monday that Houston have received a number of offers for their players this offseason, adding that the club nonetheless intends to keep most of their squad together for 2019.
"It is our goal to bring back the core of our team,” Dynamo senior VP/GM Matt Jordan told Glenn Davis on the “Soccer Matters” radio show in November. “We have every intention to keep them, that's one thing I can promise you.
“It's normal, we have a lot of interest in that front four, there's no doubt about it. We have every intention to keep the front four intact, it’s obviously a real strength of our team,” added Jordan when asked about overseas interest in his attacking corps. “We get a lot of inquiries, we have a lot of good players on our team, but that’s our intention.”
