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Ljungberg Speculation Turns To Active Rumors

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I don’t think I was clear enough in my last post on Freddie Ljungberg, so for that I apologize. What I meant to convey was that the speculation, as we knew at the time, did not seem to add up. The Sounders were not about to lose money on Freddie by sending him to another MLS side. I did anticipate that Ljungerg would leave before the end of the season; however, I don’t think I made that clear enough.

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Well, folks, it looks as though the end of the season might be closer than previously thought. Speculation about the Swede turned into active rumor buzz yesterday, with sources saying that, in return for Freddie going to Red Bull New York, Juan Pablo Angel will be coming to the Sounders.

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This makes the trade much more palatable to Seattle in that they don’t simply lose money by letting Ljungberg go to New York—instead, they get another quality player in return. Now, I’m not sure why Seattle would trade away a midfielder for a striker, unless of course Sigi Schmid has realized that he never wants Pat Noonan to again step on a pitch wearing rave green.

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This trade is still a rumor, of course, but it’s been strengthened by the news that Ljungberg did not travel with the club to Washington, D.C. Previously, it looked likely that many were making a fuss over what could honestly be a knock to a man who is quite fragile. Now, with the other elements added to the equation, the idea of Ljungberg leaving Seattle looks increasingly likely.

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I adore Freddie Ljungberg but if he wants to go play with Thierry Henry in New York, I will certainly take the former Aston Villa hero in return.