The Chicago Fire are in the midst of a coaching search, and sources tell Goal USA that U.S. national team assistant Tab Ramos is the frontrunner for the position.

The Chicago Fire went into the offseason as the first club in position to hire a new coach, and while the team is in the midst of what appears to be a thorough search, a frontrunner has emerged.

Sources tell Goal USA that U.S. national team assistant Tab Ramos is the leading candidate to take over as Fire head coach, with Chicago general manager Nelson Rodriguez having identified Ramos as his top target.

Rodriguez and Ramos have long-standing ties, having both come up through the New Jersey soccer scene. Rodriguez and Ramos most recently worked together at U.S. Soccer, where Ramos has been the U.S. Under-20 coach and senior team assistant while Rodriguez was managing director of national team advisory services.

Sources have confirmed to Goal USA that the Fire have already interviewed former New York Red Bulls coach Mike Petke and U.S. Under-17 national team coach Richie Williams for the position, but it is believed Ramos is the preferred choice.

It remains unclear whether the sudden availability of former New York City FC coach Jason Kreis will affect the Fire search, but sources tell Goal USA that Kreis isn't likely to take a new position until December.

U.S. national team forward Jordan Morris is enjoying another dominating season at Stanford University, and while it has long been believed his junior season with the Cardinal would be his last, it sounds as though the All-American striker is still weighing his options.

Sources tell Goal USA that Morris hasn't committed to turning pro after this season, and he still has the Seattle Sounders waiting patiently to make him the highest-paid homegrown player in MLS history. The Sounders have already tabled an offer to the U.S. Under-23 national team standout but are still waiting on a final answer, which isn't likely to come before the end of the college season. Morris is believed to be favoring a deal with the Sounders this winter, while a move to Europe at this point seems unlikely.

The Sounders are already preparing contingencies in case they can't convince Morris to sign. The club has a handful of highly rated academy products it can extend homegrown offers to, including UCLA striker Seyi Adekoya and University of Washington midfielder Henry Wingo, but with MLS having a salary cap on how much a team can spend on homegrown signings in a given year, the Sounders can't sign all three. Obviously Morris is the main target, but if he chooses to stay in school, the Sounders are expected to sign a few homegrown players to help bolster their USL side, Sounders II.

Morris is enjoying another standout season at Stanford, where he has compiled eight goals and two assists in 13 matches for the No. 4 ranked Cardinal. Most recently, Morris stood out for the U.S. in the recent CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.

When Jermaine Jones delivered a cryptic Instagram message that sounded very much like him saying goodbye to the New England Revolution, it was unclear whether Jones was just posturing ahead of contract talks or really ready to move on to the next chapter in his career.

As things stand, a return to New England isn't looking good.

Sources tell Goal USA that not only has Jones not reached any sort of agreement with New England on a new contract, but the Revolution have yet to even make a formal offer of a new deal for the 34-year-old U.S. national team midfielder.

Jones is believed to be seeking a multi-year contract worth more than $2 million a year, numbers that New England appears uninterested in even considering for an aging midfielder who battled a multitude of injury issues in 2015 (and who is facing a likely lengthy suspension after accosting referee Mark Geiger in New England's playoff loss to D.C. United).

Jones stormed into MLS after the 2014 World Cup and helped lead the Revs to the MLS Cup final, but this year wasn't nearly as successful, as he was limited to 18 matches in 2015 because of injuries and international duty.

What are Jones' options? A return to Europe seems out of the question for a player his age unless he's ready to take a sizable pay cut. There have been rumors of a potential move to Mexico, with Club Tijuana mentioned, but once again the market for a 34-year-old midfielder seeking a seven-figure, multi-year deal is virtually non-existent.

Is Jones' time in New England definitely done? It would make sense for the Revs to keep Jones, but at a more manageable salary. Despite the injuries and national team call-ups, Jones is still a midfield force who makes the Revs better. The real question is whether Jones is ready to accept the fact he isn't going to be paid the same now that he's reaching the final years of his career.

New York City FC turned heads with the dismissal of coach Jason Kreis, and in the aftermath Orlando City was propped up in many cases as being the more stable of the two MLS expansion teams.

We might want to hold judgment on that.

Orlando City hired former Benfica executive Armando Carneiro as chief soccer officer Monday, putting him in charge of overseeing Orlando City, Orlando City B and the newly formed Orlando Pride of the NWSL. The move comes after an inaugural season that saw Orlando overcome myriad injuries to fall just short of becoming the third MLS expansion team to reach the playoffs.

Carneiro's appointment is a bit of a head scratcher given his lack of experience working in American soccer. Conversely, Orlando City general manager Paul McDonough is coming off a first season in charge that saw him draft the presumptive MLS Rookie of the Year in Cyle Larin, and build a roster deep enough to help the club withstand several major injuries. Now, with Carneiro's appointment, McDonough's future appears to be in limbo, and sources tell Goal USA that other clubs in MLS have already begun to make inquiries about McDonough's potential availability should he choose to leave Orlando in the wake of what looks to be a demotion.

In many ways, hiring Carneiro and potentially losing McDonough wouldn't be much different than NYCFC's decision to dismiss Kreis and search for an option with more international cache.

So why would Orlando City hire Carneiro? Orlando City president Phil Rawlins cited the club's desire to be a global force, not just an MLS powerhouse.

“Looking at where we’re going and looking at where we want to get to, we’ve always said that we have a goal to be not only one of the largest, but one of the best soccer clubs in the world,” Rawlins told the Orlando Sentinel. “Not just Central Florida or Florida, but we’re looking at a global stage. To do that we need someone with that kind of level of expertise and knowledge to come in to be able to help manage that and help run it. We’re fortunate to get someone with his background and his experience.”

The club's desire to be a global power could ultimately wind up being a misstep that delays Orlando's ascent to MLS power.

— Multiple reports are circulating that the Houston Dynamo are looking to trade Mexican striker Erick "Cubo" Torres. While the Dynamo are probably ready to deal the Mexican U-23 striker, sources tell Goal USA that Torres has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning any potential move would need Torres' approval.

— As the MLS coaching carousel begins to spin, some familiar names are beginning to surface. Sources tell Goal USA that former Toronto FC and Newcastle United manager John Carver is interested in a return to MLS. Carver coached Toronto FC in 2008 before resigning in early 2009. Carver then spent four years as an assistant coach with English Premier League side Newcastle United, most recently serving as caretaker manager to close out the 2014-2015 season.