Philadelphia Union Have Many Important Decisions to Make in Offseason

Sep 20, 2014; Chester, PA, USA; Philadelphia Union defender/midfielder Amobi Okugo (14) greets a young fan after the match against the Houston Dynamo at PPL Park. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

1. Amobi Okugo/Maurice Edu Situation

There are many questions to answer and many decisions to make in the offseason. For starters, the Union will have to decided which players to protect. On top of that, they will have to choose which way to go with Maurice Edu and Amobi Okugo. Ideally, it would be great to have both Edu and Okugo remain on the roster.

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However, it isn’t that simple to just say resign both. Edu is on loan from Stoke City where he signed a three-year contract in August 2012. If I’m understanding his three-year contract right, his contract with Stoke City ends on August 2015. At the same time, the Union’s loan deal with Stoke City was only for one year.

Philadelphia’s front office will have to decide whether to pursue his services for another year. Personally, I think he’s been a valuable asset to the team and should be apart of the team’s 2015 roster. Yet, they would have to come to another agreement with Stoke City. Do they try to extend the loan? Or do they make a transfer offer to Stoke City?

The latter option is a logical option, but how much would Stoke want for Edu? It shouldn’t be an expensive transfer since he hasn’t play for Stoke since 2012, but I’m no transfer expert.

In addition to figuring out what to do about Edu, Amobi Okugo’s contract ends at the end of the season. He is one of the Union originals as he was drafted in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft in the first round along with current goalie Zac MacMath. It would be wise to do everything they can to resign Okugo. He’s a versatile weapon that can play midfield and defense. In addition he has been an important part of the Union’s attack this year as well.

However, it is unknown what kind of price Okugo would warrant. Additionally, it would not be shocking if he garners interest from European clubs. Yet, Philadelphia needs to make sure they do their best to guarantee Okugo stays in a Union jersey.

At a minimum, they must retain either Edu or Okugo. If they fail to keep either, then it would be another failure for the Union’s front office.