MLS Notebook: Atlanta, Minnesota looking to trade at draft; Red Bulls Argentine left back update

The past few weeks have been a strangely quiet time in MLS, with plenty of buzzing about moves (Jonathan dos Santos to Los Angeles?) but little substance right now. An odd time that will end this week with the MLS SuperDraft and the league’s combine.

Both expansion teams, appear wanting to do some wheeling and dealing, not shocking given that both sides have numerous holes to fill before kicking off in March. A league source tells Metro that both Atlanta and Minnesota are both looking to move back in the draft with the teams holding the top two picks (Minnesota is going No. 1 overall) and that both teams are open (and perhaps motivated) to trade out of a top spot.

A willing trade partner might be emerging as the Colorado Rapids are keen to move up, with the source saying they have “targeted a player.” The Rapids are currently picking No. 21 but would like to move into a top three spot.

There are also rumblings that there is no clear-cut selection at the top pick. Duke forward Jeremy Ebobisse, who signed with MLS last year and played on loan for the Charleston Battery of the USL, may not be the consensus first player taken on every team’s draft board.

More rumblings from around MLS:

– Metro can confirm that the San Jose Earthquakes are set to sign Darwin Quintero, the Colombian forward from Mexican powerhouse Club America. A source tells Metro that the fee for Quintero was $5 million dollars.

– A source also confirms earlier reports from South America that FC Dallas is inking Paraguayan attacker Cristian Colman with a transfer fee of $1.5 million to obtain his services. His salary, the source said, is supposed to be a shade over $1 million per season.

– As far as the Red Bulls go, it has been a quiet offseason for the twice-defending Eastern Conference champions. They have re-signed goalkeeper Ryan Meara and centerback AurelienCollin but there have been no moves – as of yet – that would be considered external. No wheeling, no dealing.

A rumor that emerged in mid-December had the Red Bulls interested in Leonel Vangioni, a possible loan move from AC Milan. But a source close to the team tells Metro that the team “never had the player” as a possibility and that the 29-year old outside back wasn’t a club target.

So apparently, this wasn’t a thing, just hot stove speculation.