While Forge and Cavalry prepare to battle it out to claim the North Star Cup, the rest of the league is busy tending to its own business.
Be it the Halifax Wanderers or Vancouver FC, clubs are already working the phones, exercising options (or not) and planning for next year’s campaign. The off-season is in full swing.
It’s been a big week for the league writ large but behind the scenes, contract negotiations with huge implications are sweeping across the country. Some players have moved on; others are mid-negotiations with multiple offers on the table; still others are happy to stay put for another year.
This is like Christmas morning for transfer buffs.
So, without further ado, here’s what I’m hearing across the league (but mostly the Wanderers) as we count down the dwindling hours of the 2023 CPL season and turn the page.
8 CPL Thoughts:
- I reported in early October that the Halifax Wanderers were getting calls on 22-year old full-back Zachary Fernandez. As the club and player were focused on the upcoming playoffs, inquiries were meant to mark interest rather than hash out a deal. However, talks have intensified since the Wanderers were eliminated. I’m hearing that multiple clubs have offers on the table; there’s serious interest from North America (presumably the MLS) and Europe. Although nothing is guaranteed in the football business, my sense is that Fernandez is the most likely of the Wanderers’ players to move on at this point. He’s still young and has put together two quality campaigns in the CPL, showcasing his ability to defend and chip in offensively. I’ve been told that the biggest thing clubs outside the CPL look for is consistency; do you have the professionalism and dedication to be one of the league’s best for multiple campaigns? I think Wanderers fans would say yes for Fernandez.
- I interviewed two of Halifax’s biggest contributors — centre-back Daniel Nimick and midfielder Lorenzo Callegari — during the club’s end of season media availability. Both spoke fondly about their personal success and decision to come to the Wanderers. Despite the transfer speculation, Nimick spoke at length about next year and how much he enjoyed Canada’s East Coast — not exactly the messaging of someone who knows they’re on the way out. Poking around, I’m told there’s no deal in place to send him elsewhere at this time but that could change with a single phone call. Turning to Callegari, who was a pillar of Patrice Gheisar’s system, sources have confirmed that things have been very quiet and, as of the writing of this piece, his only option is with the Wanderers for next year. Several people have told me that both the club and player are very happy with how this year went so it’s likely a good thing he’ll have another year to focus on playing his best football. After a European career which saw him jettison from Paris Saint-Germain to Genoa and back to France’s lower leagues, a bit of stability is exactly what the 25-year old Frenchman needs.
- I’ve been told Théo Collomb’s time with the Halifax Wanderers is likely over. Signed in February of this year, Collomb joined Halifax after a rocky season with Vancouver Whitecaps’ development squad in MLS Next Pro. Injuries limited him to just nine appearances last season and he played only 13 matches with the Wanderers. Sources confirmed Collomb is back in France and looking to potentially sign in a league at home. Although Collomb was given some opportunities to start the year, he clearly fell out of favour with the emergence of 19-year old striker Tiago Coimbra and the arrival of Toronto FC loanee Jordan Perruzza. Collomb finished the year with four goals (tied for third on the Wanderers) and 586 minutes. Recently, when asked on Down the Pub podcast about Collomb’s playing time, Gheisar said the competition at training was intense this year and he wanted to hold players responsible for their actions of things fans don’t see. One thing to note is that clubs technically have until the end of the year to make their decisions on options so it’s still possible things come back around for Collomb.
- One of the few Wanderers without a guaranteed contract or option for 2024 was midfielder and assistant captain Mo Omar. He addressed his lack of contract at his end of year availability, noting he needed to meet with the club to find out what ownership and sporting director Matt Fegan were thinking. Having said that, I’ve been told the process has begun for the 24-year old Canadian and that he’s got “things on the table.” Now, I admit I don’t know if that means contract discussions have begun with the Wanderers or if that means another club — be it in the CPL or the MLS — has reached out. What I do know is that when Omar signed for the Wanderers in 2022, he was coming off being selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft and was highly sought after. Originally slotted at centre-back to start the season, Omar thrived once he was moved to midfielder, the position he played during his impressive college career with Notre Dame. He ended the season on a high note, consistently outbattling club captain Andre Rampersad for a starting role, and was proclaimed as Gheisar’s unsung hero of the year.
- Last bit of Wanderers reporting: I wonder what happens to centre-back Doneil Henry this off-season. The former Canada Men’s National Team player came to the Wanderers following an unsuccessful spell with MLS’ Minnesota United, ultimately being waived after a paltry four appearances. At 30, Henry has been on the record to say he feels he’s still got a lot of football left but I wonder if he’s dealing with injuries the public isn’t aware of. I also think part of his fall is mental; he’s said missing out on Canada’s World Cup squad hurt him and things only got worse from there. I think it’s safe to say Henry would like to get back to the MLS, to show everyone that he’s still got it, but I wonder if that’s the right thing. As an accomplished Canadian footballer, he has taken both Nimick and Cale Loughrey under his wing since arriving in Nova Scotia; would his legacy be better served sticking around the CPL to help build the culture in a growing domestic league than one last attempt away from home? That’s up to Henry to answer but he does have an option with the Wanderers for 2024.
- It was reported by both AFTN and Coast to Coast FC that Vancouver FC has parted ways with 24-year old striker Shaan Hundal. Hundal started the year strong, scoring Vancouver’s first goal in club history but trailed off as things progressed. With the arrival of former Golden Boot winner and loan player Alejandro Diaz, Hundal gave up his number and role. He finished the year with six goals and one assist across 28 matches. If true, I must say that this move (I sent a note to the club requesting confirmation) totally took me by surprise. Although Hundal faltered a bit down the stretch, he was far from Vancouver’s biggest problem; his six goals were tied for first on the squad and he was one of the more veteran professionals on a youth laden side. Whether it was the player or the club (could it be both?) who decided not to continue their partnership, there’s little doubt that Vancouver will have to do a better job constructing their squad for next year.
- I’ve seen reports Pacific’s nominee for CPL Player of the Year, the wily Manny Aparicio, is out of contract and I believe this to be true. Sources had previously told me earlier in the summer that the 28-year old midfielder wanted a move off Vancouver Island. In fact, I wonder if Aparicio tried to leave the club before. What’s for sure is that as a free agent, Aparicio’s services will be in high demand wherever he decides to go and a huge loss to a Pacific side which underachieved given the talent on its roster. The question now is will Aparicio remain in the CPL or try to jump to another league? Only time will tell.
- Last but not least, CPL commissioner Mark Noonan held his state of the league press conference yesterday and answered questions from media. One thing that stood out to me regarded growing and selling Canadian talent. “We need to increase the prices people are paying for the talent,” he told reporters. “The nice thing is they look at Canada for cheap talent but they’re starting to realize it’s really, really good talent so we need to increase the pricing.” The sale of Cavalry’s Goteh Ntignee was a landmark deal for the league and one they understandably want to replicate across the other clubs. Having said that, clubs also need to be careful not to overprice players so they don’t have the opportunity to move on; I’ve been told CPL clubs in the past have sometimes overestimated the worth of players. Finding a balance will be key in making sure the league has a healthy cycle of recruitment, growth and moving on players who are ready to take the next step.
Photo Cover Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC
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