Wednesday’s LAFC links: Kenneth Vermeer joining up?

The big question heading into preseason for LAFC is the goalkeeper situation. Tyler Miller isn’t in training camp, and while he’s not signed anywhere, a new rumor (read below) indicates LAFC could be about to sign a European GK.

Right now, LAFC have one ‘keeper, Pablo Sisniega, under contract. Sisniega is young, but could be a starter, or LAFC could aim for someone else to lock down the spot while the current contender window is open. Will Bob Bradley continue to go for young options in net or will he turn to experience to help bring silverware in 2020?

Here’s some of the latest news for your Wednesday morning:

• Transfer rumor: After a few days when it seemed like Feyenoord GK Kenneth Vermeer would join a California MLS team, then the Galaxy, it has now come around to Los Angeles Football Club. Frankly, it makes sense since LAFC need a starter with Tyler Miller apparently out of their plans. He’s 34, has spent his whole career to date in his native Netherlands (Ajax, Willem II and Feyenoord) and Belgium (Club Brugge). Among other outlets, the actual Eredivisie website, through some kind of syndication deal, reported Vermeer is bound for LAFC. Seems fairly likely, we’ll probably get an indication one way or the other from the club in the next week or so.
• Kaye bound for Belgium? Today’s outgoing transfer rumor is that European sources claim two Belgian clubs, Genk and Club Brugge, are targeting LAFC midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye. Voetbal Nieuws claims those teams are in play because Kaye recently followed them on social media...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. The thing is, new players often do follow the teams and new teammates and stuff on social media, but this feels like flimsy evidence for an upcoming transfer. One to watch but unclear if there’s real fire to this one.
• LAFC’s S.Am pipeline: Does it feel like a quarter of LAFC’s roster is young South Americans? That’s because it is. With the signings of Jose Cifuentes and Francisco Ginella this offseason, the pipeline continues apace, and Scott French in MLSsoccer.com asks Bob Bradley why they’ve been so interested in going back to the well.
• More on LAFC trialist Silvera: Bradley Wright-Phillips may have headlined the trialists in LAFC preseason on day one, rightly so, but among the lesser-known names we’re finding out more about Australian attacker Sam Silvera. The player is indeed under contract to A-League side Central Coast Mariners until 2022, and he was given leave to go on trial to LAFC, so if Bob Bradley wants him they’ll likely need to get him on loan or pay a transfer fee. ESPN has more info from an Australian perspective on Silvera, and this podcast from Coast Football Ramble features club Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp speaking about Silvera’s trial at LAFC and an apparent partnership between the teams, at about the 28:00 mark (h/t @LAFCAus).

• CBA Negotiations update: Yahoo’s Doug McIntyre talks to MLSPA team union rep Evan Bush, making it sound like the negotiations between the league and the union are off to a decent start and the union is optimistic, but we’ll see what happens. McIntyre notes the teams are making the start of the MLS season, Feb. 29, the deadline for a possible work stoppage, so teams like LAFC involved in the Concacaf Champions League are not expected to be affected by CBA negotiations for the opening round of that competition.
• The story behind that Zlatan statue: One imagines some LAFC fans have felt some schadenfreude over the perpetual vandalism of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s new statue in his native Sweden. For more information on why it’s happening and what it means to locals, this deep-dive profile in The Athletic is excellent.

Today’s question: Should LAFC go for Sisniega as their No. 1 or pick up a new starter this year? It could potentially be a championship-deciding question, and a newcomer is not a sure thing (although neither is a holdover performing well). What is your preference? Leave a comment below!