MONTREAL — An already tumultuous off-season for CF Montreal has taken another twist, with striker Kei Kamara looking to leave the Major League Soccer club.
Kamara was absent from Montreal as it started pre-season training this week, with the team saying the Sierra Leone native was still in Africa and feeling ill.
Since then, his absence has turned into a media storm as the 38-year-old announced that he has requested a trade after contracts extension negotiations fell through.
"I threw all my eggs in one basket telling my family I found a place we can call home, finish playing my career and possibly more, but looks like it was just a dream," said Kamara on social media Wednesday morning. "I never wanted it to come to this, but I want to let you know I have asked the club for a trade."
Kamara was picked up as a free agent at the beginning of the 2022 season and proved to be a vital addition and a fan favourite on and off the field.
He scored nine goals and added eight assists in 39 appearances over in all competitions en route to being nominated for the MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award.
While he is still under contract with the club, he has yet to report to the team in any capacity. CF Montreal vice-president and chief sporting officer Olivier Renard says the club was prepared to offer Kamara improved terms and a two-year guaranteed contract, as well as the opportunity to remain with the club in a coaching or ambassador capacity.
"It wasn’t a surprise, but it’s about the respect that the player has with his teammates. I didn’t sign the contract for him, he signed it, but now he’s putting himself in a bad position," Renard said.
"If his agent finds interest from within the league or other leagues, then he’ll have to contact us and then we can start to negotiate. Firstly, he’s a player of Montreal and his agent needs to do his job and hassle the payer to come back to us to train."
With 139 goals, Kamara ranks third on the MLS all-time list behind Chris Wondolowski (171) and Landon Donovan (145). He is the only active player in the league's top-10 for all-time goals.
Kamara made US$94,000 last season, which ranked 25th among Montreal players. His nine goals in 2022 tied for second on the club, behind Romell Quioto's 15.
Quioto earned $885,000 last season.
With Kamara's seemingly imminent departure, Montreal’s lack of depth at striker has gone from a slight concern to a genuine problem. There are options within the club as forwards like Chinonso Offor or Woobens Pacius who are on loan in Belgium and with Forge FC of the CPL respectively, but Renard has not ruled out picking up a striker from another MLS team or from overseas with the European transfer window rapidly closing.
While there have been departures this off-season, new arrivals are eager to make a name for themselves and compete for a spot in the starting 11. One of those players is towering centre back George Campbell, who was acquired from Atlanta United in December for US$900,000 in general allocation money.
The 21-year-old ball-playing defender adds some much-needed depth to Montreal’s backline and has a versatility that can allow him to play anywhere in defence and even step into the midfield.
"They’re a very brave team and play out of the back and that’s what I love to do," said Campbell. "I’m looking forward to all of this. I like touching the ball and being involved in the buildup and that’s one of the fun things about being on a team like this."
Another relatively new face is goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, who is back after being sent to CPL's Valour FC to develop while James Pantemis and Sebastian Breza competed for time in Montreal's goal.
With Breza returning Bologna F.C. from his loan, the door has opened for Sirois to establish himself at his boyhood club.
“My goal is just to get more minutes and prove to the club that I can play MLS games and compete at that level,” said Sirois. “(My time in the CPL) has been super important especially since I don’t think I would get any minutes if I had stayed. You meet a lot of different players and coaches and live in a new city, it became a very beneficial two years for me."
Montreal will train for two more days before having the weekend off and picking back up on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2023.
Elias Grigoriadis, The Canadian Press
