JESUS MEDINA CHATTER INTENSIFIES
To further news first broke here on the MLS Rundown on December 19th, Paraguayan youth international Jesus Medina has departed for the US to participate in a medical for New York City FC, according to Paraguayan outlet Tigo Sports.
The 20-year-old winger, who has most recently played for Paraguay’s Club Libertad, is expected to join NYCFC in time for the opening of preseason.
A report back in the United Kingdom had Medina signing for Manchester City and then being sent on loan for the season to their sister club stateside.
ORLANDO REINFORCE
Orlando City have tipped their toes into the shark-infested transfer waters once again as they have acquired two players. One is a player familiar in MLS circles, the other not so much.
Midfielder Jose Villarreal has arrived via a trade with the LA Galaxy, who received a third-round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft in exchange. In addition, Orlando have signed left back Mohamed El-Munir, who last played for Serbian SuperLiga side FK Partizan Belgrade.
Both Villarreal, 24, and El-Munir, 25, will be tasked with helping improve an Orlando City side that finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference this past campaign. Villarreal will attempt to do so after making 12 appearances for LA Galaxy in 2017, while El-Munir made seven appearances across all competitions in helping Partizan capture their 27th SuperLiga Championship.
ERCEG ON SEATTLE’S RADAR
According to Zagreb-based red top 24sata, Seattle Sounders are launching an ambitious €6 million ($7.1 million) bid for Hajduk Split’s right winger (who actually starts as an inverted winger on the left), Ante Erceg.
The 24sata report claims that the Sounders’ efforts to secure his services dramatically outpace the only other significant interest from overseas, a much smaller bid from Danish club Brondby IF.
What makes Rundown unconvinced is that if accurate, the transfer fee supposedly offered for Erceg would rank among the largest in MLS history, nearly the size of the $9 million price Seattle reportedly paid to sign Clint Dempsey in 2013.
JOSE SALVATIERRA U-TURN
Never let it be said Rundown doesn’t admit when they got it wrong, which puts today’s article title in some context. We’ll celebrate the successes but when it goes badly, we put that out there too.
Jose Salvatierra has elected to re-sign with Alajuelense on a three-year deal, citing his desire for stability ahead of the final push for a spot on Costa Rica’s 2018 World Cup squad. However, it’s noteworthy that the update reports that he and agent Kurt Morsink have inserted what is described as a ‘rescission clause’ into the contract should he desire to move abroad in the future. Rundown had previously reported that he was considering MLS or La Liga as his next destination.
Any Other Business…
MLS scouts are said to be widening their search for promising young stars to West and Central Africa, more on this story tomorrow.