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All signs point to Atlanta United losing one of their key members of the 2017 season as Yamil Asad will likely not return ahead of the upcoming season.
A recent report from MLSSoccer.com’s Sam Stejskal reveals that the club made an attempt to bring back the 23-year-old on a permanent deal. The report states that the Five Stripes made an undisclosed transfer offer to Velez Sarsfield for Asad and even discussed personal terms with the player himself. It is not known which negotiation fell through.
Earlier this week it was reported that Asad was drawing interest from Minnesota United. Stejskal says that the Loons kicked the tires on a possible transfer but the $1.9 million price point put forth by Velez was too rich for their blood and their interest is fading.
Adding to @samstejskal's report on Yamil Asad to #MNUFC: #MLS sources tell me that Velez has requested a $1.9M transfer fee for the winger. At this point, the Loons' interest isn't totally dead, but it's dwindling. https://t.co/5NkexORKLl
— Jeff Rueter (@jeffrueter) January 25, 2018
Questions about Yamil’s MLS rights came to the forefront when the reported interest emerged. Stejskal has confirmed that Atlanta still does own his rights within the league and should Asad evet return, another club would have to negotiate a trade for them.
With the acquisition of Ezequiel Barco last week, Atlanta United’s roster and presumably salary cap is at capacity. If Yamil Asad is ever to return to Atlanta, it looks very unlikely it’ll be this season.