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Update: Was Kei Kamara Ever in the Cards for Vancouver?

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Social media was buzzing with rumours about a potential striker swap between Columbus and Vancouver

By AtlantisB
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Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

The Whitecaps desperately needed a goal scorer, and the Columbus Crew were having some difficulty with their star striker. At its most basic, a potential deal between the two clubs didn't sound so far fetched when rumors broke Wednesday night that Kei Kamara could be making his way to Vancouver, in exchange for Octavio Rivero.

Multiple sources were reporting the rumor, and it seemed like a done deal that Kamara was on his way. For Whitecaps fans, the deal seemed too good to be true. The Whitecaps were unloading a talented, yet unproven striker that had struggled to score goals for the majority of his time as a Whitecap. In exchange, they were getting a guy that scored 22 goals last year, and despite attitude issues, was considered one of the brightest stars in the league. As fans sat waiting for the Whitecaps to confirm the news, further reports threw plenty of rain on their parade.

The dream officially died the next morning, when Karama was officially shipped off to the New England Revolution. So, how close was this deal to getting done? It's hard to say, considering the Whitecaps never officially acknowledged the rumors. Also, consider what the Rev's gave up to land Kamara.

  • General Allocation Money,
  • Targeted Allocation Money,
  • New England's highest First Round MLS SuperDraft pick in 2017,
  • New England's highest Second Round MLS SuperDraft pick in 2018
  • One of New England's international roster spots for the 2016 season.
  • Additionally, Crew SC will retain a percentage of any future transfer fee for Kamara should he be transferred to a club outside of MLS.
The Whitecaps rumored offer of Octavio Rivero by comparison, looks pretty unspectacular in comparison. Carl Robinson even commented that given the bounty Columbus got, the Whitecaps never would have stood a chance.


Perhaps the Whitecaps had early discussions with the Crew and Columbus had their socks blown off by a late Revolution offer. Or, maybe the deal never existed in the first place. In any case, it doesn't matter now, as the Whitecaps will have to push forward with the roster they have.

-AtlantisB and Jon Szekeres

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