San Jose Earthquakes ready to sign Designated Player

San Jose Earthquakes general manager John Doyle says they're in the market for a Designated Player.

Quakes owners Lew Wolff and John Fisher are open to the prospect and a new arrival is now expected for season 2011.

“In the past, we weren’t ready,” said Doyle. “Now I think we have a good team, a good base of players. We’re more interested in doing it.

“The salary cap is probably going to go up. Lew Wolff and John Fisher said that if we needed a DP to be successful, they’d be willing to do it. And Frank [Yallop] and I are saying we do.”

Centre Line Soccer says one name that came across Doyle’s desk recently was Ghanaian international midfielder Stephen Appiah. A source close to Appiah said that the Ghana captain was very interested in coming to MLS, and that San Jose was among the candidates to sign him.

Appiah has since signed with Serie A Bologna.