American international Eddie Johnson is 21 today. We’ve apparently been watching him since he was 17 and it seems that we’re now looking to bring him over to Manchester. He spent two weeks at Carrington earlier this month, and has revealed that only a work permit stands in his way, "(United) had a lot of good things to say. They told me the only issue right now is my work permit, and hopefully I can get a work permit by the end of this year or next year.
"I'm not in a rush. I told my agent at the end of the day, it's all about stability and comfort, and right now, I'm happy in MLS. Right now, I'm 20-years-old. Being in MLS at 22 or 24 isn't going to hurt me because I think the league is getting better and better.
"The EPL [Premiership]. That's me. That's where it is. I was going in there [United] with no pressure on my back, seeing where I stand with the guys abroad. There were some days where I could pretty much do what I want. There were some days where I was just the same as everybody over there.
"Being around all those players who love, eat, breathe and sleep soccer, I kind of regret not going when they wanted me to come over when I was 17. But I'm with Dallas and I'm going to stay with Dallas until anything happens in the future.
"I can tell myself right now that MLS has done a great job of getting me to where I am right now. I'm just glad to be a part of it."
It may be that we swap Johnson for another American on our books, Kenny Cooper, "At this point, it's down to where Kenny wants to be and where Manchester United wants him to be," said FC Dallas general manager Greg Elliott. "We've let him know that if he comes back to the United States, we want him to be here. He's a big, strong kid. His game is good, and it's only going to get better."