Jack Harrison’s career has seen him go from Manchester United’s academy to the American college system and Major League Soccer, and now an English Premier League club is working to try and bring him back home.
Stoke City has tabled a $4.5 million offer for the New York City FC midfielder, multiple sources have confirmed to Goal. The offer, which includes incentives that could push it to $6 million, is an improved bid made after NYCFC turned down an initial $3 million offer last week.
Asked about the transfer offer at the MLS draft on Saturday, NYCFC sporting director Claudio Reyna wouldn’t confirm or deny that a transfer offer was made, telling Goal he had no comment.
Sources tell Goal that NYCFC is open to selling Harrison for the right price, with recent comments Reyna made about selling players seeming to support that belief.
“Every league is a selling league, so why not us,” Reyna told Goal in an interview last Sunday at the MLS combine. “It’s a statement of credibility to be honest. I know in some way we don’t want to lose our most talented players, but we’ll bring in other talented players as clubs.
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“I think it’s really a statement of credibility for the league when you start attracting clubs from big leagues to come watch MLS games and the talent here,” Reyna said. “It should happen, it needs to happen, and I think we need to start looking at this the other way, that actually it’s good for the league that these clubs are coming here because what they’re saying is this player is talented playing in this league and he can come play in a very good league. it obviously brings money into the clubs to reinvest in other players and youth development, so I think it’s something that needs to be done. That’s just my opinion, I know other clubs have different philosophies around it.
“I guess the question is who’s not a selling league,” Reyna asked. “Liverpool just sold a player to Barcelona. There’s no league where you don’t look at offers and think about it, and we’re becoming that league and I think that’s great.”
Harrison, who was born in Stoke before moving to the Bolton area and spending seven seasons in Manchester United’s youth setup, would be the first player sold by NYCFC in its brief history.
The 21-year-old attacker is coming off an impressive second season as a professional, having recorded 10 goals and 6 assists, and playing well enough to earn a call-up to the England Under-21 national team last fall.
Stoke City is currently locked in a relegation fight, having recently appointed Paul Lambert as its new manager. The Potters climbed out of the relegation zone after Saturday’s 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town.
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