A look at Columbus Crew secondary transfer window additions, Dylan Chambost, Aziel Jackson
As an MLS coach, Wilfried Nancy has recruited several players outside of the league, but those talks have gone nowhere because of one particular roadblock: The players, when asked about playing in MLS, see it as something they want to do further down the line, which raises an immediate red flag for the Crew coach.
"They say, ‘Yeah, maybe later.' No," Nancy said. "If you want to come, you want to come now, not later. In the past, MLS was only for the old players, and now it’s getting better. And Dylan (Chambost) wanted to come here and obviously we wanted that also. So, he’s going to be here."
Dylan Chambost, who finalized a deal with Columbus from France's Saint-Etienne in June, is a left-footed midfielder who's a strong passer with the ability to make smart moves. And, yes, he wanted to join MLS right away.
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At 26, Chambost has played professionally in France for five seasons – a stint with Saint-Etienne following three seasons with a club rival, Troyes. During his time in France, Chambost recorded 131 appearances with 11 goals.
"I don’t know how long it’s going to take for him to fit in with the team," Nancy said. "It could be quick, it could be longer, I don’t know. I know that he’s ready, I know that he has good qualities, and also, this is a good player."
Having arrived in Columbus on July 10, Chambost will be eligible to play for the first time on Saturday against Atlanta United on the road.
Aziel Jackson will also be available for Saturday's gameday lineup. He was the Crew's second mid-season addition this year, coming to Columbus via a trade with St. Louis City on June 18 in exchange for $325,000 in General Allocation Money.
A young player at age 22 in his second professional season, Jackson has been a player that the Crew have had their eye on for a while, even before he was playing for St. Louis' first team.
"It feels good being wanted. It feels good having a coach who believes in you," Jackson said. "There’s so many coaches, so many players throughout their career who’s had different coaches in their careers that have maybe not got the best out them. But I feel like even in the short time I’m here, I feel like I’m already improving."
During his time with St. Louis, Jackson scored one goal with four assists in his 41 games.
Listed as a midfielder, Jackson had been training with the forwards since being cleared to practice with Columbus nearly a month ago. Working with the group of Cucho Hernandez, Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez and most recently Jacen Russell-Rowe, who recently returned from participating with the Canadian national team at Copa America, Jackson has learned the "attackers' dynamic" and has gained an "understanding for how they move."
With Jackson being a younger player, Nancy has expressed a vision for Jackson that goes beyond tying him down to one position.
"What I like is his dynamics," Nancy said. "The way he is going to be on the pitch. So, he can play in different positions, this is a good addition for us. And I like also, my staff to develop players, so it could be a good opportunity for him.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Crew add Chambost, Jackson to start MLS secondary transfer window
