MLS Can't Afford Not to Lose Twellman

At 27, Taylor Twellman thought there would be no second chance at playing abroad. But following a stellar 2007, the New England Revolution striker caught the attention of English club Preston North End, which lodged a $1.7 million bid for the New England Revolution. MLS rejected the bid.Preston plays in England's Coca-Cola Championship, its second division, and is currently in last place. Despite its low standing on the English soccer totem pole, the club is expected to up its bid to $2 million; it could also easily double Twellman's $370,000 salary, which is among the highest in MLS, and give him a piece of the transfer fee. Frank Dell'Apa, writing for ESPN Soccernet, says that aside from a salary increase, Preston's offer gives Twellman that second chance. Before becoming the Revs' star striker, Twellman endured a tough couple of years at TSV 1860 Munich of the German Bundesliga. Demoralized, the striker returned to the U.S. where he went on to become New England's all-time leading scorer. Now, MLS is not eager to lose Twellman, but it's also "not in a financial position to refuse healthy payments for its assets," says Dell'Apa, "so it is a matter of finding the right price for Twellman. "

Link: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=496558&root=mls&cc=5901