An offseason theme of stability continued Tuesday for Columbus Crew SC, as the club announced the re-signing of wingersJustin Meram and Bernardo Anor to new deals.
The pair were two of three out-of-contract players from the team’s 2014 roster, leaving only defender Eric Gehrig without a deal.
Head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter believed it was important to bring both wingers back as part of the “core” that he has continuously referenced since the end of the season.
“These are two guys that, through the course of the season, increased their value and showed their importance to the team with goalscoring and versatility on the field,” said Berhalter. “So these are two guys that earned new contracts.”
Both Meram (eight goals and four assists, pictured at right) and Anor (six goals and an assist, above) had the most productive seasons of their careers in 2014, and Berhalter made it clear that they were rewarded with “multi-year” deals, though specifics of the contracts weren’t disclosed.
“[Negotiating] was pretty smooth,” he said. “These are guys who earned a pay raise, and we were happy to give it to them.”
Berhalter added that he’s happy with the depth Columbus have established with their two outside midfield roles. Meram and Anor played most of the season’s minutes there, while Ethan Finlay was a standout on the right and Hector Jimenez proved to be more than capable of playing the position. Attacking midfielders Romain Gall and Ben Speas also gave the club two more options.
- Get more Columbus Crew SC news at TheCrew.com
With so many options, are the Crew done looking for wide midfielders?
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that,” Berhalter said. “We want to position ourselves to have depth at that position, because we know how important that position is for our team. So either way, there could be some movement.”
As for Gehrig, Berhalter said there’s still work to be done if the club wants to bring him back for 2015, and he didn't know if a deal would be reached.
“As these conversations go, you never know what turn they’re going to take,” Berhalter said. “So it’s hard to tell.”
