Mauro Manotas smiling
Mauro Manotas was all smiles after the Dynamo's training. (Jesus Acevedo Jr./The Bayoucitian)

Mauro Manotas: Happy in Houston, but Europe transfer interested him

By /

HOUSTON – For the second time this season, Mauro Manotas’ name was heavily mentioned in transfer talks, and once again, the Houston Dynamo opted not to pull the trigger.

On Sunday, national and longtime Houston commentator and soccer radio host Glenn Davis broke the news that the Orange had received an offer for Manotas.

How close did Manotas come to joining that unnamed European team?

“I saw myself over there already, I saw myself in Europe,” Manotas told The Bayoucitian after Wednesday’s Dynamo training session.

The offer from the European team came two hours before the Dynamo faced off against Sporting KC Saturday night, which led to Manotas not being in the starting lineup, and not playing in the match at all.

Only, Manotas was unaware that that was the reason he didn’t play in that match.

“I was very angry because I didn’t play but then I got over it, everything’s good,” Manotas said. “That’s how things stayed, there was no chance to go and here I am.”

Leading up to the game against Sporting KC, the Colombian forward spoke with Davy Arnaud, the Dynamo’s interim head coach, who mentioned to him that he wanted to give Christian Ramirez an opportunity.

Manotas understood, saying everything was good.

“I was preparing to enter the second half because I have earned that right to be able to play,” the forward said. “Obviously, I am the team’s goalscorer and the goalscorer always has to play — that’s normal.”

Manotas found out why he didn’t feature in the match after the game when Dynamo vice president and general manager Matt Jordan, along with Arnaud, told Manotas of the offer, and the forward was all in.

“I told them it was ok, that I thought it was a good option,” Manotas said. “Matt Jordan also said that possibly the next day [Sunday] everything would come together for me to leave.”

In the end, the transfer didn’t materialize and Manotas will finish the Major League Soccer season with the Dynamo. And he’s happy about that.

“I am here, I am happy in Houston,” Manotas said. “I told him [Matt Jordan] if I leave that’s fine and if I stay that’s fine too. And now just go to keep working.”

Arnaud said the deal was close to finalizing but ultimately didn’t. That a European team made an offer for Manotas didn’t surprise Arnaud one bit.

“Mauro [Manotas] is a great player. He’s a goalscorer, which is attractive to everybody,” Arnaud said.

“And we’re happy to still have him. It was close to happening and it didn’t work out this time, so we keep plugging away with Mauro here and he’s going to be a big help to us here these last six weeks.”

The offer from the unnamed European club was reported to be north of the supposed $8.5 million that Liga MX side Cruz Azul offered for Manotas during the Summer transfer window.

At first, it was a team from Liga MX that came knocking on the Dynamo’s door for Manotas, and this time, it was a European club looking to bolster its team with the Colombian forward.

How does Manotas feel about having teams across different leagues, show interest in acquiring his services?

“Very happy. I spoke with Matt, and Davy also, and said that any moment I would have to go and that’s something very normal in soccer, that today we are here and tomorrow we can be somewhere else,” Manotas said.

“I have the desire to stay here for the three years but if there’s an offer from Europe and a big team, obviously, I will want to leave. But I am here, I will finish well here and we’ll see what happens the following year.”

Manotas may one day leave to a bigger league, but for the time being, he’s a Dynamo player, and he’s happy to be in Houston.

Late Wednesday night, the forward uploaded a photo to his Instagram Story showing his love and dedication to the Orange.