TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
A long-running MLS target is back in the crosshairs yet again, according to a new report out of Colombia.
Cafeteros and River Plate midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero has been approached with an “irresistible offer” to move to North America, reported Carlos Antonio Velez on a recent edition of the show Planeta Futbol de Antena 2. Though no MLS team was specified, the report suggested a lofty level of spending in both salary and transfer-fee terms.
“They made an incredible offer to River for Quintero… River has plenty of titles but it has a notable [financial] deficit ... at the end of this cycle there will be moves at River and one of those points to Juan Fernando Quintero,” Velez said on the show, indicating that the club has not commented on the news and will not make any public comments until after the Copa Libertadores final.
“It's an offer for the club and the player; an irresistible offer from MLS."
A diminutive but dynamic left-footed playmaker, Quintero, now 26, has been linked to the Chicago Fire, Atlanta United and Inter Miami over the years.
The Colombian was Pity Martinez’s partner in crime as River triumphed in last year’s Copa Libertadores and he has helped the Argentine giants reach this year’s final again, where they will meet Brazil’s Flamengo later this month. Quintero would reportedly depart River after that massive match.
One of the architects of the US Under-23 squad's demise in 2016 Olympic qualifying, Quintero rose to prominence in the Colombian league and also spent time in Europe with FC Porto. After a year-long loan stint, River Plate reportedly paid €3.5 million (US$3.9 million) to acquire him permanently earlier this year.
