Colombian clubs showing interest in Nelson Valdez

With less than two weeks until the Seattle Sounders officially open preseason training camp and about six weeks before they play their first competitive match of the year, transfer rumors are suddenly starting to heat up. The latest is that a pair of Colombian clubs are looking at the possibility of signing Nelson Haedo Valdez.

Although Atletico Nacional is one of those two clubs and was reportedly looking to bolster their roster for Copa Libertadores, the stronger links appear to be tying Indepiendente Medellin to Valdez. The storied club has reportedly reached out to Valdez about potentially joining the team, but it's unclear if the interest in mutual.

One of the obvious stumbling blocks to such a transfer getting done is that Valdez is currently under contract with the Sounders and it's possible the Sounders would require a transfer fee. Even if they didn't, Valdez's reported salary of $1.2 million might be prohibitive.

That said, freeing up Valdez's Designated Player spot might have some attraction for the Sounders. Valdez played reasonably well after joining the Sounders in August and scored three goals and three assists in about 650 minutes across all competitions, including one against the LA Galaxy in the playoffs. But the 32-year-old also struggled with injuries and could be missing for chunks of time if he's named to Paraguay's World Cup qualifying or Copa America teams.