Ask Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall when the process that led to Cucho Hernández’s sudden, record-breaking move to LaLiga’s Real Betis began, and he harks back not to previous weeks in the current winter transfer window, but years before – when Tall and the rest of the Crew’s brain trust made their initial pitch to the Colombian striker, during the final stages of his time at English side Watford FC.
“I take you to when we first met with Cucho, and were trying to convince him to come to our league,” Columbus’ GM explained to MLSsoccer.com Tuesday afternoon from their preseason camp in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
“Our message was, ‘Hey, look, you’re 23, you're talented, and you play in the Premier League. I know you probably don't have MLS in your sights, but here is something for you: Come to us, regain playing time, regain confidence, be the player you are, then become the star of our club, the star of our league. Go back to your national team, and one day, maybe you return to a top-five league in Europe. We believe there's a pathway there, and let's try to make it happen.’”
Superstar ascent
Cucho grabbed at that chance and quickly became a Crew legend, leading the Ohioans to MLS Cup and Leagues Cup trophies and a stirring run to last year’s Concacaf Champions Cup final, racking up All-Star and two Best XI nods and a host of other individual achievements.
Eager to make another run at hardware on multiple fronts in 2025, the club had neither plans nor desire to move their talisman anytime soon. Yet when Betis, a well-supported, tradition-rich outfit in Seville who had caught Cucho’s attention and respect on previous stints in Spain, came calling, Tall listened, at his player’s request.
“He came, he did well, he regained confidence, scored goals, won titles, became the star of our club, star of our league, got back to the national team,” said Tall. “Well, we didn't anticipate him to leave, but a team from the top five leagues in the world came about, and he wanted to take this opportunity, asked for us to consider it heavily, and we did.”
"Proof of concept"
The Spaniards’ initial offers were well below Columbus’ valuation of their tentpole attraction. But when Los Verdiblancos showed their seriousness with what eventually turned out to be one of the biggest transfer fees in their history and their largest since the COVID-19 pandemic – reportedly around $16 million plus add-ons and a sell-on percentage – a win-win transaction took shape.
And another encouraging case study, it seems, for the entirety of MLS.
“At the end of the day, if it didn't make sense for our club, we wouldn't do it. And it was just a hope, sort of a story to lure him, but it's actually possible, and it happened. It was like almost prophecy,” said Tall. “I hope this deal is now a proof of concept where other teams in the league, ourselves included, can do the same again, again and again and again, to show that, hey, it's not a retirement league. It's actually the opposite now, and we showed it with Cucho.
“I appreciate what Betis did, because they really wanted him, and they went for it.”
Notably, Tall revealed that Betis’ offer was not the highest they received for Hernández, with bigger bids from what the executive described in general terms as clubs from other continents. Yet it was the move Cucho wanted, not just a return to one of Europe’s most elite stages, but a homecoming of sorts to a nation where he gained citizenship via his prior stints with Huesca, Getafe and Mallorca.
Lucrative pay, it seems, is not the prolific scorer’s top priority. He was under contract in Columbus for another two years, and Tall says even the most lucrative renewal would not have stopped this move.
“It's always been a smooth and honest conversation throughout his time here, whether it was with him or with his agent,” explained Tall. “What I want to make sure people understand is, had we given Cucho a 10-year contract, he would have gone after this opportunity, even though he would be making less. It was not about the money.”
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This relatively late-breaking development complicates the Crew’s prospects for securing a successor. Even with the careful planning they’re known for, the three-time league champs may have to wait until summertime to find the ideal fit for this Designated Player slot.
“The problem is timing,” said Tall, who nonetheless declares his confidence that the current squad can keep the Crew's ambitions on course. “You can talk to probably all the CSOs in our league, and they will tell you the same, that operating in this window is hard because we're dealing with a majority of the leagues, that is their secondary window. And why would they move their players when they're fighting for Europe or promotion or avoiding relegation?
“But yeah, we are ready. I mean, we're looking; at the same time it's a process that's been going on for months with closely with Wilfried [Nancy], where we meet regularly, we are on the same page. He shared his vision on how he wants to play, how he wants to evolve the way we want to play. Therefore, the players that we bring in have to be very specific.”
The Cucho era is over in Columbus, probably sooner than their supporters expected or wanted. But with so much team glory laying the foundation for relationships, finances and romance aligning as they did on this deal, it looks like a sweeping success just the same.
Tall makes that point with a small, revealing detail from Cucho’s final hours as a Columbus player.
“I went on a walk with him,” Tall recalled. “It wasn't even done yet, but it was happening. So he and I went on a walk for 30 minutes. It got a bit emotional, just because of what we've gone through together and the way we grew together, in a way. And he told me what Betis represents to him and how he played there at that stadium and both times, and he's always told his agent that one day he'd love to pay for this club. So I'm just happy for him.
“He was thanking me a lot personally, he was thanking the club generally speaking, thanking our coach. And in return, I was also thanking him. And yeah, I’ll be watching a lot of Betis games now.”
