![]() “Every year, we’ve looked to add players during the summer window,” said Jacobs, noting that MLS’ summer coincides with a primary transfer window for most leagues around the world, opening up opportunities. Last week’s exit was important because it alleviated that. Worse with Loba, he was on loan in 2023, which meant Nashville had been wasting one of three designated-player spots (Mukhtar and Zimmerman are the others) on someone not even on the team. He joins Jhonder Cadiz as another young, DP attempt from Nashville's past. He scored only two goals in 40 MLS appearances, most of them as a substitute. ![]() Loba never got close to justifying the hype and expense. (For comparison, Mukhtar’s fee in 2019 was only around $3 million, per The Athletic.) ![]() Nashville added Loba in July 2021 to a club-record $6.8 million transfer fee, per. Then on Monday, Nashville SC announced the termination of forward Ake Loba’s contract, solidifying his once-celebrated addition as a bust. But Sapong was on a slump of 27 games without a goal when Nashville traded him to Toronto a couple of weeks ago. Sapong stands out, scoring 12 goals in 2021. While Nashville SC has stocked up well at every other position – and hit it out of the park with Mukhtar – it has whiffed on some big swings at striker. With the summer transfer window starting July 5 and the club having freed a spot to add a designated player (someone eligible to be paid outside of MLS' salary structure), Jacobs is positioned to try to land the right attacking player to help get this club over the hump this postseason.įinding a world-class forward to fit into an MLS team at midseason is easier said than done, though. Nashville SC still lacks a prolific, goal-scoring striker up front to feed off Mukhtar’s midfield brilliance and ease the scoring burden on him.įor years, that striker has been the white whale of Nashville SC's voyage. The next step is to start winning trophies in 2023. Jacobs has built a reliable contender out of Nashville’s young MLS franchise. Beating Chicago moved Nashville SC (5-3-3, 18 points) into a tie for third in the East, only six points off the lead and in comfortable shape. There were a few early stumbles – a six-game stretch featured three defeats and only one victory – but it’s early. The performance, similar to l ast week’s 3-1 win over Atlanta United, was more like it for a squad that’s picking up steam as it gets into the season’s third full month. Soccer sporting director jobĮSTES: After 'difficult preseason,' Hany Mukhtar fought to return for Nashville SC opener MIKE JACOBS: What Mike Jacobs said about interviewing for U.S. Mukhtar, the league’s reigning MVP, scored a hat trick, converting a pair of penalty kicks before adding a late goal. The league’s best defense in 2023 didn’t permit a goal, even with top defender Walker Zimmerman sidelined for injury-related reasons (it was believed to be precautionary). As Nashville’s star Hany Mukhtar said, “We controlled the game from the first to the last minute.” This was dominance, leaving no doubt as to which MLS team was among the Eastern Conference’s best. ![]() Honestly, Nashville SC’s 3-0 thumping of the Chicago Fire couldn't have been much better for the home team. The evening’s game had been far easier to digest. “A rough one,” said Jacobs, standing in a tunnel underneath GEODIS Park. And they lost Game 3 of their NBA playoff series to the Miami Heat in the afternoon. In addition to being Nashville SC’s general manager, Jacobs is a devoted fan of the New York Knicks. ![]() Saturday was a good day for Mike Jacobs, the sports executive. ![]()
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