OBETZ, Ohio – With Designated Player Federico Higuain and Costa Rican international forward Jairo Arrieta on the roster, few would have expected offseason acquisition Dominic Oduro to be the Columbus Crew's leading scorer in 2013.
But he did just that, tallying 13 goals and four assists for the club, often providing the only spark for an otherwise lackluster offense.
Now, with Oduro's contract expiring at season's end, the club must decide whether to bring their best scorer back, and Oduro must decide whether to return to Columbus. But the Ghanaian told MLSsoccer.com definitively Thursday that he wants to stay with the team.
“I really want to come back, 100 percent,” he said after training. “I think they also want me back. The fans want me back. I really want to be back.”
Oduro said that he and management have “talked about it a little bit,” but that nothing conclusive had taken place, and that talks would likely wait until the club had its end of the year meetings.
“It's positive from both parties,” he said. “I know I have options at the end of the day. But I also want to be back, because we have a good thing going. In order for me to be back, there has to be a little bit of icing on the cake for me.”
That “icing on the cake” that Oduro is seeking may complicate the process. But he feels confident that he and the team can come to an agreement.
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“Hopefully we can come to an understanding, in terms of what number is best for both parties,” he said. “I really want to come back, but again, when you crunch the numbers, it has to be something enticing for me to stay, too.”
Despite his desire to stay in Columbus, Oduro said that the prospect of moving to a sixth MLS team isn't affecting his decision.
“It's part of the job,” he said. “If you have to move around, so be it.”
