The rumors linking the Colorado Rapids to Mexican national teamer Alan Pulido heated up a bit on Thursday, when ESPN.com.mx reported that the Rapids and Pulido’s club, Greek side Olympiacos, are very close to a one-year loan deal that would bring the 24-year-old striker to Denver.
According to the report, Pulido was initially hesitant to agree to a deal to come to Colorado, but the Rapids are hopeful that he’ll eventually agree. Colorado VP of soccer operations and technical director Paul Bravo was in Greece last week for negotiations.
Pulido was first reported to be a Rapids target last week, and on Tuesday he told Univision that he “does not rule out playing in MLS with the Colorado Rapids.”
A member of Mexico’s 2014 World Cup team, Pulido began his career with Liga MX club Tigres UANL, scoring 23 goals in 101 career appearances with the Monterrey side. He left the club under the cloud of a contract dispute that kept him off the field for the entire second half of 2014 before finally landing in Greece with Levadiakos last January. He moved to Olympiacos in June 2015, but has played very sparingly this season for the 42-time Greek champions.
Pulido's contract status does remain up in the air, even after he was cleared to play in Greece a year ago. Chivas Guadalajara claim to have bought 50 percent of his rights in the summer 2015 Liga MX Draft, and with the Court for Arbitration of Sport having ruled in Tigres' favor in their contract dispute, his immediate future remains unclear.
