By now, Seattle Sounders fans should probably be accustomed to the on-again, off-again nature of negotiations for high-profile transfer targets. That doesn’t make what’s going on with Derlis Gonzalez any easier.
The latest bit of chatter isn’t great news, either, as Paraguayan reporter Wilson Gonzalez says he’s been told by the player’s agent that negotiations are over and that Dynamo Kyiv have decided to keep the 23-year-old midfielder.
"No se pudo, tema terminado"
— Wilson González (@Wilson11G) August 8, 2017
Cayó lo de Derlis González para #Seattle me dicen desde su representación. Se queda en Dimano.@ABCCardinal https://t.co/nvqGGN4Or5
ESPN’s Jeffrey Carlisle is now reporting something similar, albeit with the caveat that something could still happen before the deadline.
As with previous reports, this should be taken with some degree of skepticism. Until the MLS transfer window closes on Wednesday, anything can happen. Dynamo have previously indicated they were interested in allowing Gonzalez to leave -- there have been indications that a deal was effectively settled until Kyiv unexpectedly backed out — and he seems to want to make the move, so there remains a chance that a last-minute deal will be struck.
If no signing is made, it will rightfully be seen as a frustrating saga for the Sounders. Gonzalez is at least the third Designated Player the club had tried to sign this year — there were reputable reports of them pursuing Keisuke Honda and Hiroshi Kiyotake — only to come up empty each time. While the Sounders are still reasonably well positioned to make a run at defending their MLS Cup, adding Gonzalez would have likely increased their chances significantly.