This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Is Garth Lagerwey bound for the Emerald City?

One of American soccer's prominent voices believes it's a done deal. On Monday evening, ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman reported on Twitter that he's heard Lagerwey, Real Salt Lake's general manager since 2007, will be part of the Seattle Sounders front office in 2015.

"Hearing at the start of the 2015 @MLS season, Garth Lagerwey will not be with @RealSaltLake....instead he will be with @SoundersFC," Twellman tweeted.

The 42-year-old Lagerwey is out of contract from RSL on Jan. 1 as the days on his four year contract extension signed in 2011 are fast fading. SI.com scribe Brian Straus reported after Twellman broke the news that RSL already has a new general manager lined up and that an announcement is expected soon.

Lagerwey responded to the Tribune to the report by text message Monday night saying, "I have no written offers from anyone. I'm under contract to RSL through Dec. 31."

Along with close friend and former head coach Jason Kreis, Lagerwey helped construct a consistent postseason contender in RSL upon his midseason arrival in Sept. 2007. The club has since made the MLS Cup postseason seven-consecutive seasons and have been a part of four respective Cup finals. RSL beat the L.A. Galaxy in penalty kicks in the 2009 MLS Cup final to win the club's first-ever trophy. In 2014, RSL achieved its fifth-straight campaign with at least 50 points and 15 wins in a season. In 2011, RSL became the first MLS club to reach the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Twellman's report didn't specifically address what manner in which Lagerwey could join the Sounders' front office. The club joined MLS in 2009 and since Chris Henderson has been the club's sporting director with part owner Adrian Hanauer serving as the club's general manager. Straus' report stated that Lagerwey "likely will succeed" Hanauer as Seattle's general manager. Lagerwey has made no bones about his desire to become an MLS club president. He reiterated that before the 2014 season began in March. The Sounders, who won the league's Supporters' Shield trophy as well as the U.S. Open Cup title in 2014, don't currently have a club president.

Lagerwey entered this 2014 season much like Kreis did in 2013: In a contract year with swirling rumors that this might be his last in Utah. And like 2013 with Kreis, RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen reiterated throughout this season that money would never be an issue when it came to keeping Lagerwey in Utah.

It'd be opportunity. Much like the one that Kreis took when expansion side New York City FC approached and offered him the opportunity to coach the high-profile club in Dec. 2013.

"The league is growing rapidly," Hansen told the Tribune in late August. "Teams are being added. A lot of opportunities are there and for the league, that's not unhealthy. Great teams help other people mature. However, all that said, we will kill for Garth to stay here and I don't think money will ever be the issue. It would be opportunity, as it was, I believe, with Jason. You can never take that away from someone and you can't negotiate it away from them either."

In RSL's exit interviews on Nov. 12 following the club's 5-0 season-ending loss at L.A. in the Western Conference semifinals, Lagerwey said a flurry of factors would go into his decision to stay at RSL or perhaps move on.

That same day RSL coach Jeff Cassar put into context how his friend of 21 years has helped shape the club from once a laughingstock of MLS to an annual contender.

"He's been arguably the biggest part of it," Cassar said. "He is amazing at what he does with his job. He sees things before they happen and we're able to answer those questions and not have to be scrambling. He always has a plan and when we follow through with it, we end up being able to have big changes and still continued success. He's been extremely valuable, on the field and off the field."

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani