Transfer Rumor: Seattle Sounders Interested In Prince Tagoe, But Not Paying $10M A Year

Another week, another player rumored to be transferring to the Seattle Sounders. This time, it's Ghana's Prince Tagoe, who was actually quoted in a Ghanian newspaper as saying he's been offered $200,000 a week (that's the equivalent of $10 million a year) to don the Rave Green (H/T to MLS-Rumors for finding this). 

Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer admitted to having heard the rumor and even said they "have tracked" Tagoe. He also said that they wouldn't be paying $10 million a year for anyone.

"I can't comment on contract issues," Hanauer told Sounder at Heart. "Prince is under contract with another club. Separately, we will not be paying anyone $200,000 per week."

As a point of reference, David Beckham is MLS's highest paid player he gets about $6.5 million a year, which translates to about $125,000 a week. Thierry Henry makes about $5.6 million a year.

Based on those comments, I'd put pretty limited stock in this rumor, although I wouldn't rule it out completely. Tagoe has reportedly already agreed to personal terms with Swiss champion FC Basel, who supposedly paid the Bundesliga's TSG Hoffenheim $9 million for his transfer. It's quite possible that Tagoe is just trying to squeeze a little bit more money out of the deal by saying this: 

"It is true. Seattle Sounders have approached me with US$200, 000 a week. There are a lot of offers and I’m considering all of them."

But let's imagine the Sounders were willing to spend the money it took to get Tagoe. The 24-year-old forward already has 28 caps with the Ghana national team, has eight international goals and made the 2010 World Cup roster where he started three games for the quarterfinalists. He's coming off a club season in which he scored nine goals in 15 league matches for FK Partizan of the Serbian Superliga. In all competitions for club and country, he scored 15 goals in 29 matches. 

At 6-foot-2 and possessing obvious talent, it should be no surprise that the Sounders are interested in him. Whether or not could afford his services, whatever price that may be, is another issue entirely.