Crew pick up Kekuta Manneh in blockbuster trade with Whitecaps

Columbus Crew SC added a dynamic new attacker Thursday, completing a trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps to acquire forward Kekuta Manneh. In return, the Crew are shipping veteran midfielder Tony Tchani, $225,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and $75,000 in General Allocation Money to the Whitecaps.

The trade immediately boosts Columbus' already solid stable of attacking options. The 22-year-old Manneh joins Ola Kamara at forward with the likes of Federico Higuain, Ethan Finlay and captain Wil Trapp in the midfield.

He should provide instant impact for the Crew, who are joint-top of the league in shots on goal but have just seven goals in the early-going of the new MLS season. Manneh has scored 22 goals and notched 12 assists in 101 regular season MLS matches and still has room to grow.

On the surface it looks like the Whitecaps are getting hosed on the deal, but they could just be trying to get something for Manneh while they still can.

Manneh, who recently joined the USMNT training camp in January, was in the last year of his contract with the Whitecaps. If he told them he didn't intend to re-sign, it makes sense for them to flip him for assets. Tchani is a capable, experienced midfielder and allocation money (despite its many confounding uses) is never a bad thing to have on hand.

Furthermore, should the Crew ink Manneh to a long-term deal, the Whitecaps would receive Columbus' next natural first round selection in the MLS SuperDraft. There are other potential returns built into the trade for the Whitecaps, too.

Who "wins" the trade all hinges on how Manneh performs, of course, so it's impossible to make the distinction right off the bat. At first glance, though, it looks like a fairly balanced trade. One team saw an opportunity to spice up their attack, and another made sure a player didn't leave for nothing.

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