Transfer Tracker
By Jonathan Sigal
@JonathanSigal
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
The San Jose Earthquakes have added a high-end MLS center back before head coach Luchi Gonzalez’s first year in charge, announcing Friday they’ve acquired Jonathan Mensah in a trade with the Columbus Crew.
In return, Columbus have received up to $500,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) – $200k is guaranteed across the next two seasons, while $300k is conditional – for Mensah, who’s in the last year of his contract. The conditional game breaks down as $150k/year if he’s on San Jose’s roster for the 2024 and 2025 Roster Compliance Dates.
Mensah, a 32-year-old Ghana international, has been in the league since 2017 and donned the captain’s armband in Columbus. He won MLS Cup 2020 with the Crew and earned MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire honors that year, plus finished third overall in 2020 MLS Defender of the Year voting.
Crucially, Mensah joins San Jose after center back Nathan suffered a right ACL injury in a preseason scrimmage. He’ll likely partner with Rodrigues, who’s on loan from Brazilian Serie A side Grêmio through the summer.
«Nathan’s unfortunate injury left a significant hole at a precarious time in our preseason that we didn’t hesitate to address quickly,» Earthquakes general manager Chris Leitch said in a release. «We knew we needed to bring in a player of significant quality and experience to compete at the highest level in MLS.
«We feel very fortunate and excited to bring in Jonathan, who has been named MLS Best XI, has captained an MLS Cup-winning side, and who knows what it takes to perform and be a leader for a competitive team in MLS.
His leadership and success in Major League Soccer will be invaluable to our squad as we approach the 2023 regular season and his qualities as a human being will positively impact our organization and community.»
One of the best in @MLS.
Let the @Jomens25 era begin.#VamosSJ pic.twitter.com/SLt7bGvqSV
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) February 10, 2023
Mensah, a veteran of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups with Ghana, has 70 international appearances. He has 7g/3a in 159 MLS appearances, playing for ex-Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala before emerging as an on- and off-field leader with the Crew.
Mensah also continues a pattern of San Jose acquiring MLS-experienced players in trades since Leitch took over. Star striker Jeremy Ebobisse arrived in August 2021 from the Portland Timbers for $1.167 million in GAM, while midfielder Jamiro Monteiro arrived in February 2022 from the Philadelphia Union for up to $450k in GAM.
As Mensah departs, Columbus’ lead remaining center backs are Josh Williams and Australian international Milos Degenek. There’s some depth via college soccer alums Philip Quinton and Keegan Hughes, who are both entering their first MLS season.
Columbus are expected to pursue a new backline anchor heading into new head coach Wilfried Nancy’s first season on the sidelines. But there’s an undoubted leadership void, combined with previous core pieces like midfielder Artur (trade to Houston Dynamo FC), wide player Pedro Santos (free agency to D.C. United) and forward Derrick Etienne Jr. (free agency to Atlanta United) also leaving this winter.
«Above all, we want to thank Jonathan for his contributions to the Crew and the Columbus community on-and-off the field since joining the club in 2017,» Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a release.
«He is truly the consummate professional, a great teammate and an even better person.
Jonathan will always remain an important part of our club’s history, including winning MLS Cup 2020 together, and we wish him and his wife Kafui all the best in the future. This opportunity materialized and we felt it would give us flexibility to promote players from within the club and add new players from the outside, in the short term and long term.”
A shining example of what it means to bleed Black & Gold and champion Columbus 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/qZu10TaCvV
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) February 10, 2023
San Jose, who open their 2023 slate on Feb. 25 at Atlanta United (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass), have also brought in DP midfielder Carlos Gruezo (from Bundesliga’s Augsburg) and TAM-level goalkeeper Daniel (from Brazil’s Internacional) this offseason.
Columbus, meanwhile, are visiting the Union for a Matchday 1 clash on Feb. 25 (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass). Their offseason has been quieter, highlighted by striker Christian Ramirez arriving in a transfer from Scotland’s Aberdeen.
Both clubs missed the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. Columbus finished eighth in the Eastern Conference, while San Jose placed last in the Western Conference (14th place).
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
National Writer: Charles Boehm
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George | UCSF Health
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Dr. Jonathan R. George is a surgeon specializing in head and neck surgery. His primary areas of focus are thyroid and parathyroid diseases, melanoma and other skin cancers of the head and neck, and cancers of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts. He is a member of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
George provides comprehensive diagnoses and care for thyroid nodules and multinodular goiters as well as for newly diagnosed and recurrent thyroid cancers. His specialties include treating massive goiters, treating thyroid cancers that have spread to areas around the thyroid and performing complex neck surgeries for thyroid cancers that have spread to surrounding regions of the body.
He also cares for patients with all forms of hyperparathyroidism, a hormonal disorder that occurs when parathyroid glands become enlarged and overactive.
When treating patients with melanoma and other skin cancers, George’s care includes wide excision (the removal of the tumor along with some normal tissue around it to assure complete removal), sentinel lymph node biopsy (the removal of lymph node tissue to examine microscopically for cancer) and neck dissection (to remove cancer in the neck). He provides superior aesthetic outcomes by coordinating with UCSF providers of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.
George’s research focuses on prospective clinical trials for targeted treatments of head and neck cancers.
George earned his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, graduating with honors. He earned a master of public health degree in head and neck cancer epidemiology at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health.
He then completed a two-year clinical and translational research fellowship in head and neck cancer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed a residency in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at UCSF, followed by a fellowship in advanced head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. George was trained in complex thyroid surgery by master surgeons Gary Clayman and Lisa Orloff.
George is a member of the American Head and Neck Society and American Thyroid Association. He is a surgeon member of UCSF’s multidisciplinary programs in head and neck oncology, melanoma oncology and cutaneous oncology.
George is committed to providing compassionate care with a focus on cure and excellent outcomes while maintaining a relationship with each patient in which he is directly accessible. He provides expedited consultations for all patients. To request an evaluation, please email him at [email protected] or call his clinic at (415) 514-4890 or (415) 885-7528, fax (415) 885-7711.
Education
Duke University School of Medicine, 2008
Residencies
UCSF Medical Center, Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, 2013
Fellowships
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Advanced Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship , 2014
Board Certifications
Otolaryngology, American Board of Otolaryngology
Academic Title
Associate Professor
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Head & Neck Surgery Cancer Program
Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building
1825 Fourth St., Fifth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 885-7528
Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery Clinic
Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building
1825 Fourth St., Fifth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 885-7528
M-F, 8 a.m. — 5 p.m.
Melanoma & Skin Cancer Center
Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building
1825 Fourth Street, Third Floor
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 353-9900
Oral Dysplasia Program
Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building
1825 Fourth St.
, Fifth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 476-5903
Fridays, 1 — 5 p.m.
UCSF-John Muir Health Cancer Center in Berkeley
Berkeley Outpatient Center
3100 San Pablo Ave., Suite 280
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 420-8000
M-F, 8 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Overall Experience
242 Ratings
Explained things in a way that was easy to understand
240 Ratings
Did the doctor pay attention to your concerns
240 Ratings
Gave easy to understand instructions about taking care of health problems or concerns
235 Ratings
Knew the important information about your medical history
238 Ratings
The provider showed respect for what you had to say
241 Ratings
The provider spent enough time with me
241 Ratings
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American journal of otolaryngology
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MD, FACS
Breast cancer surgeon
DDS, PhD
Oral medicine and orofacial pain specialist
MD, MS
Breast cancer and melanoma surgeon
MD
Gynecologic cancer surgeon
Daud
MD
Oncologist and melanoma specialist
MBBS
Neuroradiologist
DO, FACS
Breast cancer surgeon
MD
Endocrine surgeon
MD
Otolaryngologist head and neck surgeon
MD
Head and neck and reconstructive surgeon
MD, FACS
Facial plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive surgeon
MD
Dermatopathologist
MD
Oncologist and melanoma specialist
MD
Oncologist and melanoma specialist
MD, FACS
Surgical oncologist
MD
Medical oncologist
MD
Medical oncologist
Neuhaus
MD
Dermatologic surgeon
MD
Dermatologist and dermatopathologist
MD, PhD, MBA
Dermatologist and melanoma specialist
Please check with your health insurance plan regarding coverage for this type of care. Not all providers at UCSF are covered by every insurance plan.
© 2002 — 2023. The Regents of The University of California.
Exact role
Aug 03 2014
Last modified: 08 Nov.
2022
To the details of the cost
Facts and figures
Season
Date
Departs
Joins
RS
Compensation
22/23
10 Feb. 2023
Columbus
San Jose
800 thousand €
187 thousand €
16/17
9Jan 03 0020 2017
Anji
Columbus
400 thousand €
500 thousand €
15/16
23 Feb. 2016
Evian
Anzhi
500 thousand €
200 thousand €
11/12
July 07, 2011
Udinese
Évian
700 thousand €
Free agent
10/11
June 30, 2011
Granada
Udinese
€700k
End of lease
10/09
Jan 2 2010
Udinese
Granada
—
Rent
10/09
Jan 01 2010
FS Stars
Udinese
—
500 thousand €
08/09
July 01, 2008
Ashanti Gold
FS Stars
—
?
Total transfer income:
€1.
39m
youth teams
Adelaide, Ashanti Gold
Complete performance statistics
San Antonio swinger Jonathan Simmons’ $875,000 contract for the 2016-17 season has been fully guaranteed, according to Project Spurs. The player will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Simmons played 55 games last season, averaging 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
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