USMNT forward Jordan Morris turns down Werder Bremen
United States forward Jordan Morris has turned down a contract with Werder Bremen in order to start his career in MLS.
Morris received a contract offer from the Bundesliga side after a successful trial over the past week, but the 21-year-old forward opted to reject those overtures. Morris is now expected to sign a Homegrown deal with Seattle Sounders in the days ahead.
Werder Bremen chief executive Thomas Eichin revealed Morris’ decision in a statement on the club’s website on Tuesday morning.
"Following intense talks, the player made clear that he currently sees his future in America," Eichin told Werder Bremen’s official website. "Of course, we respect this decision.”
Eichin told Wesier Kurier on Monday that he hoped to sign Morris ahead after the Stanford product impressed at a training camp in Turkey. Morris’ desire to start his pro career with his hometown Sounders eventually led the move to break down instead.
“We're in a situation now where we need players who fully identify with Werder and the way things are done here, in order for them to focus properly on the task ahead,” Eichin said. “For this reason, we have ruled out a transfer for the time being, but we will remain in close contact with him and are still entertaining the idea of working together in the future."
Morris has a standing offer from Seattle to sign the most lucrative Homegrown deal in MLS history. Seattle general manager Garth Lagerwey told FOX Soccer last week that he hoped Morris pick the Sounders when his time to decide finally arrived.
"He's going to go through his process," Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey told FOX Soccer at the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday. "We're going to respect it. He's a smart kid. He's going to get all of the information he can and he's going to make a decision. I'll keep standing up here and say that I think Seattle is a pretty nice place to live and MLS is a pretty good place to start your career."
