Tuesday, January 10 – 1978
New York Cosmos said last night they are involved in talks to take Kevin Keegen from West Germany’s Hamburg to the United States. General manager Michael Martin said: “We have been talking for several weeks, but matters began to move in earnest about a week ago. Talks are being handled by a couple of our representatives in Europe.”
One of their men in Europe is Eddie Firmani, the South American-born former Charlton forward who was last summer appointed Cosmos’s team manager. Firmani has been touring the world since the American season ended in the autumn looking for new players to fill the gap left by the retirement of Brazilian star, Pele.
Martin said he couldn’t comment at this stage on reports that Keegan’s contract would be bought out by an American bank to use him for advertising and promotional work in addition to his soccer. But he did say: “Of course, we are interested in Keegan, as we are in any player of his international magnitude. But the situation is too premature to say anything else.”
Philadelphia Fury, whose team manager is the former Newcastle chief Richard Dinnis, are also understood to be prepared to share the Keegan wage bill. Keegan, who left European champions Liverpool for £500,000 in the summer, has not settled in Germany, where he appears today before a disciplinary commission after being sent off in a friendly match.
(Daily Mail, 10-01-1978)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 