There were rumors of unaccepted transfer offers being considered after the World Cup and a January move away from the club was being hinted at pretty heavily during yesterday's broadcast (although, that could have just been Cahill responding to questions about Henry leaving). He hasn't committed to playing here next season, but unlike Henry he will still be under contract.
I wouldn't mind keeping Cahill if he moved to striker. If Petke's strategy is going to be "CROSS EVERYTHING," then I'd love to keep one of the best finishers of crosses in the world. But if there is a coaching change, major player overhaul, change in strategy, or Cahill plans on staying in the midfield, then I would rather he goes.
A big problem in the DC game wasn't the crossing, that was just a symptom. Every time NY tried to go up the gut they found themselves in a forest of DC defenders. If you need midfielders capable of breaking down opponents off the dribble and combining well to create space, then Cahill just isn't the guy you'd pick for that lineup. He's a bit of a problem, because he is capable of doing dirty work and will run through a brick wall to help his team, yet he isn't a playmaker nor is he a 20 goal scorer. So where does he play? He's either a 2nd striker or the box-to-box guy in a 5 man midfield. As the point of the diamond in a 4 man midfield, he's almost completely useless (except for his D). If he's up front, then he is capable of being a goal mouth finisher and a great header of crosses, but he's not your center forward.
I like Cahill, he's got a huge heart and had a great season last year, but he's just not doing well right now and has even missed some golden chances in the last couple of games. If he has market value, maybe to the A-League, then I'd move him out in the off-season.