Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope your week is humming along and you are nearing the finish line.

It was a quiet one in Caps world, with no matches at all this week and you would think that would leave the purveyors of this site sitting around, twiddling their thumbs. Nonetheless, we have some fresh content courtesy of the CPL.

Oh, and some handy transfer and contract rumors, which popped up earlier this week courtesy of The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.

In the good news category, the Caps appearing to be attempting to hammer out a contract extension with Ranko Veselinovic, who is out of contract at the end of the year.

Setting aside the team’s atrocious record of signing guys to big pay raises before their production tanks, this would be an excellent move. Ranko has, obviously, been vital this season and has been a rock for going on two seasons now. Add in the fact that he is 24-years-old, breaking into the Serbian National Team and a physical specimen, a move to a bigger, European league seems ripe for the taking.

A deal keeping him in Vancouver keeps him in comfortable environs and ensures that the club can cash in when that time comes. Plus, it keeps a talented player in a Whitecaps uniform (now do Julian Gressel …).

In the outgoings column, the Caps have apparently fielded calls about Javain Brown from Belgian sides. Not clear that there is an overwhelming amount of interest (or if a bid was tabled) but, if so, it would add a lot of logic to the Mathias Laborda signing and be a savvy move in its own right.

The Caps have been systematically unable to cash in on their assets but getting a meaningful fee from a European club for Brown, a guy who they got in the SuperDraft (gasp) and have not paid very much in recent seasons, would be great business.

Not that Brown isn’t a good player but he doesn’t fall into the category of “irreplaceable” in the same way that Ranko probably does at this point. Laborda’s presence and the possibility that Scott Kennedy is on the market this summer would certainly make the Caps quite open to selling.

Kennedy will certainly be available after his contract with Jahn Regensburg ended following the 2. Bundesliga side’s relegation but there are bigger sides rumored to be swirling around. Nonetheless, The Athletic also reports that some MLS teams are hovering around and I would be shocked if the Caps weren’t one of them.

At 26-years-old and with his national team future to think about, Kennedy isn’t coming to MLS to be a rotation option like Brown was. But moving on the Jamaican would free up some money (and an international spot to be used elsewhere) and Kennedy could potentially form a new starting centerback partnership with Ranko.

In any event, the Caps would be foolish not to at least seriously entertain the option of bringing him in, if he truly is interested in a move to North America. A bigger European league (he apparently is getting interest from Germany and the Netherlands) would likely be first choice but it is possible those options dry up. It is such a logical signing that I imagine it won’t actually happen.

Shameless Self Promotion

Pacific FC have found themselves top of the CPL table, taking their game to new heights in the new season.

Best of the Rest

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 grabbed all three points against Real Monarchs behind a Levonte Johnson goal Thursday night

Canada won 2-0 to advance to their first cup final in decades Thursday night in the Nations League semifinal.

Their opponent will be the United States, who thrashed Mexico 3-0 in a match defined by dodgy refereeing and blown tempers

Sebastian Berhalter’s dad is set to find gainful employment again

Scott Arfield is headed to MLS — but not to a Canadian club, but rather Charlotte FC. Not losing much sleep over this one.

Why #MessitoMLS is still not a done deal