KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As they wait to hear Norwich City FC's plans for Kei Kamara, there's one person Sporting Kansas City aren't pressing for information: Kamara himself.
“I mean, I talk to him,” manager Peter Vermes told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday. “We go back and forth, but ... I think it would be wrong to put the pressure on him. I'm just giving him space. He's got this experience, and it would be ridiculous to give him the experience and be bothering him every day. There's no sense in doing that.”
Kamara has been on loan to the Premiership side since January, with the agreement set to run through May 6. After that, the Canaries could let Kamara come back to Sporting or buy him outright. And no matter which of those two options happen, another club could make a move for him during the summer transfer window.
READ: Sporting KC waiting to hear if Kamara loan becomes permanent
“We'd take him back in a heartbeat, if that winds up being the situation,” Vermes said. “But it's like I've said, there are a lot of suitors out there for him. So if it's not one, it could be another. Some of that discussion has to be with him as well, and I haven't had those discussions with him. But there are a lot of teams out there that are interested. So we're going to have to kind of evaluate those with him and make those decisions.”
The two last spoke on April 13, Vermes said.
“I wish him good luck. He wishes us good luck, that sort of thing,” he said. “I have to say that we've talked quite a bit.”
Neither Kamara nor Norwich officials have announced their intentions, with the Canaries fighting to avoid relegation and only now seeming to be safe in England's top flight for the 2013-14 season. And aside from saying recently that Sporting had made inquiries as to Norwich's plans for the Sierra Leone star, Vermes said on Tuesday that he is not focusing on the winger's situation.
READ: SKC rookie Mikey Lopez joins US U-20 national team
And if he's checking the market to see who might be available if Kamara stays across the Atlantic, Vermes said, that's less about this specific situation and more about Sporting's near-constant talent search.
“Have we been looking and all of those things? Sure, but that's normal for us.” Vermes said. It's not just because he's gone. I don't really give it a lot of thought, to be honest with you. I've got to concentrate on what's here, so that's what I'm doing. Anything else is wasted energy.”
But with less than two weeks in the loan, it won't be long until the issue is squarely front and center.
Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.
