Cyle Larin Misses 1st Orlando City Preseason Training

ORLANDO, Fla. – The drama surrounding Orlando City SC forward Cyle Larin continues.

City hosted their first preseason training on Monday, and Larin was nowhere to be seen. Lions head coach Jason Kreis expected the Canadian international to attend training, despite not being in contact with Larin ahead of the first day of the 2018 preseason.

“This is a situation I lay no expectations on,” Kreis said after training Monday. “First and foremost, Cyle is a contracted Orlando City and Major League Soccer player. He was supposed to be here today, so, you know, whether or not there’ll be repercussions for his not being here is a little bit above my pay grade.

“But we look at that situation and say he’s an MLS player, and he’s an Orlando City player until we hear differently.”

Larin was at the center of a transfer rumor after Turkish club Beşiktaş J.K. tweeted photos of the 22-year-old in a Beşiktaş jersey, completing medical exams, on Jan. 13.

Translated from Turkish, Beskitas’ tweet read, “Cyle Christopher Larin, who we started transfer interviews [with], passed medical exams.”

Transfer görüşmelerine başladığımız Cyle Christopher Larin sağlık kontrolünden geçti. @ACIBADEMSPORTS #Beşiktaş pic.twitter.com/jRmhYKrM18

— Beşiktaş JK (@Besiktas) January 13, 2018

Orlando City didn’t take kindly to Beşiktaş’ announcement and responded the same day. In a brief press release, the club said it will take “all necessary action” against Beşiktaş, as City said no transfer agreement was made.

According to a report by ProSoccerUSA.com’s Mike Gramajo and Iliana Limón Romero, Orlando City have hired lawyer Marcos Motta, who handled Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior’s transfer negotiations, to protect their rights.

The Lions have argued Larin signed an agreement acknowledging two remaining club-option years on his contract and that those options are still valid.

“Orlando City SC is aware of the announcement made by Beşiktaş J.K. regarding Cyle Larin,” the club’s statement read. “The club has not agreed to terms on a transfer of Larin and will take all necessary action against Beşiktaş in response to the announcement.”

Larin has been a Lion since being selected by the club with the first-overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Since then, he’s been the club’s leading scorer in each of its first three MLS seasons, finding the back of the net 43 times, including 11 game-winners.

Last season, the soft-spoken Larin encountered off-the-field trouble. On June 15, 2017, Larin was arrested and charged with a DUI.

For second-year Lion Jonathan Spector, Larin’s absence hasn’t been a bother. He said his focus is on the players who are present.

“It’s something the club’s dealing with,” Spector said after training Monday. “So, as players, we’re not focusing on that; we’re focusing on what we’re doing, what we’re building as a team. And, as far as I know, he’s still contracted here, but it’s not something that I’m really going to comment no any further.”

City will spend two more days training in Central Florida until traveling north to Jacksonville for a team-bonding, preseason excursion.

For more on Larin and the Lions, as they continue to finalize the former’s status, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.