With the season now over, Minnesota United announced decisions on several player contract options on Friday. The club says it exercised options to keep five players — Kervin Arriaga, Michael Boxall, Tani Oluwaseyi, Joseph Rosales and Zarek Valentin — and declined options on eight others: Bakaye Dibassy, Eric Dick, Fred Emmings, Ménder García, Jan Gregus, Emmanuel Iwe, Ryen Jiba and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. Despite declining their options, Minnesota United says it is in negotiations with Dunbar and Tajouri-Shradi, as well as Fred Emmings and Wil Trapp, whose contracts expired. Brent Kallman's co ..read more

Minnesota United has signed outside back DJ Taylor to a two-year contract with a club option for 2026. Before that, he played four seasons with former USL Championship team North Carolina FC after he started his pro career playing Spain ..read more

In its search for a general manager who can align sporting operations from its first team right through its youth academy, Minnesota United decided Khaled El-Ahmad is worth the wait. The club last week hired him to replace fired decision-makers Adrian Heath and Mark Watson. It did so uncertain when El-Ahmad's current team — Barnsley F.C. in England's third division — will find replacements for ..read more

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent Nov 8, 2023, 05:29 PM Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Email Print Open Extended Reactions Adrian Heath was fired from Minnesota United last month. Photo by Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images Minnesota United FC has tabbed Barnsley CEO Khaled Al-Ahmad to be its next GM. Al-Ahmad replaces Adrian Heath, who was fired from his dual role as GM and manager of the first team back in October. "Khaled is an outstanding fit for this role, and I am thrilled that he and his family made the decision to join our club. He ..read more

Minnesota United on Wednesday hired Khaled El-Ahmad out of England's League One to be its Sporting Director and Chief Soccer Officer. El-Ahmad, 42, has been CEO and Sporting Director for Barnsley Football Club in League One — England's third division — since 2021 ..read more

Minnesota United's 2023 season is done too soon and 2024 fast approaches for a club that must hire a general manager and new coach who will decide contract options, navigate free-agent signings and draft college players, among many other things. The new hires will replace Adrian Heath and technical director Mark Watson after both were fired Oct. 6, late in the season, as the Loons went on to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Loons CEO Shari Ballard will hire ASAP in the coming weeks a GM presumably titled Chief Soccer Officer ..read more

Minnesota United's 2023 season is done too soon and 2024 fast approaches for a club that must hire a general manager and new coach who will decide contract options, navigate free-agent signings and draft college players, among many other things. The new hires will replace Adrian Heath and technical director Mark Watson after both were fired Oct. 6, late in the season, as the Loons went on to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Loons CEO Shari Ballard will hire ASAP in the coming weeks a GM presumably titled Chief Soccer Officer ..read more

Manny Lagos is taking another position at Minnesota United, and the St. Paul native will be further from the Loons' to-be-determined new sporting hierarchy. Lagos' new role as the club's first Chief Development Officer will move off his former Chief Soccer Office title as MNUFC looks to hire a new general manager, who will then be able to bring his soccer vision to the club and implement it at all levels, the Pioneer Press has learned about MNUFC ..read more

Minnesota United's next general manager and head coach will inherit a roster of puzzle pieces assembled by fired predecessors Adrian Heath and technical director Mark Watson . Several are foundational commitments signed through 2025 or 2026, to contracts as large as newcomer Teemu Pukki's $3.55 million salary and star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso $2.15 million this season. Others are decisions needed on players with expiring contracts such as right back DJ Taylor or with team options. Some are seemingly simple, such as keeping improving 22-year-old Joseph Rosales and fellow Honduran Kervin Arri ..read more

Minnesota United's 3-1 loss at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night was more than the end of a season. It was the end of an era for a franchise that now goes forth with a new coach to replace fired Adrian Heath, as well as presumably a new general manager and the new players that inevitably come with such change. "I would say it's more of a start of a new one," Loons interim coach Sean McAuley said. The Loons now go abruptly into an offseason that for the first time since 2018 won't include MLS postseason play ..read more