Save for one player with the United States national team and another recovering from knee surgery, Gregg Berhalter's first Crew squad is nearly complete. And as the team navigates its way through the 2014 preseason at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Berhalter reiterated that German defender Maik Franz is not in his future plans.

"There was never really contact with the player himself," Berhalter told me today in a phone interview." We talked to a representative briefly but it's one of those things where it's one of a hundred conversations a week, basically. It wasn't much more than that. 'The guy is coming from Germany and he thinks MLS is a big payday for him.' It wasn't anything much more than that."

Save for one player with the United States national team and another recovering from knee surgery, Gregg Berhalter�s first Crew squad is nearly complete. And as the team navigates its way through the 2014 preseason at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Berhalter reiterated that German defender Maik Franz is not in his future plans.

�There was never really contact with the player himself,� Berhalter told me today in a phone interview.� We talked to a representative briefly but it�s one of those things where it�s one of a hundred conversations a week, basically. It wasn�t much more than that. �The guy is coming from Germany and he thinks MLS is a big payday for him.� It wasn�t anything much more than that.�

Berhalter said as much last Friday before the team departed Columbus for warmer climates, but other reports have indicated a greater level of interest in the central defender.

�It was two emails to his agent and that was it,� Berhalter said. �It�s not even worth bringing up again. His agent said he was interested in coming to America. We said, �How much is he?� They said, �X amount� and I said �no way� and it was done. Then his agent in Germany used it as leverage to try and get a new contract.�

The Crew has five unsigned players in camp right now: draft picks Ben Sweat, Adam Bedell and Fifi Baiden, undrafted rookie Patrick Slogic and Konrad Warzycha, who was on the team�s roster last season but had his 2014 option declined.

Asked if he could add anyone else in the near future, Berhalter said, �We could add some people. Right now we�re just trying to focus on this group that�s here. We�re pursuing some leads, but the main focus is working with the guys who are here.�

No cuts will be made for about two weeks, he said. The Crew currently has 29 players signed to its roster, one short of the league maximum.

Also, I asked Berhalter about rumors that surfaced around the New Year linking the Crew with English midfielder David Bentley.

�I never talked to the player,� he said. �I never talked to a representative of the player. I never heard that the player was interested in coming to America. I had absolutely no contact with him.�

Check the blog Friday morning for more from defender Eric Gehrig, midfielder Ben Speas and Berhalter on how the Crew�s preseason training is progressing.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy