Sounders reportedly have transfer offer rejected for Valencia's Nelson Valdez

In an illustration of just how hard it is to attract younger talent from Europe to MLS, it appears that the Seattle Sounders recently had their bid rejected for Valencia forward Nelson Valdez (h/t Chazz4444). The 29-year-old Paraguay international had recently transferred from Russian club Rubin Kazan for a fee somewhere in the realm of $4 million, and apparently is choosing to pursue his dream of winning a European title.

We can probably choose to look at this one of two ways, assuming this report is accurate of course.

On one hand, it shows just how hard it is to convince a player who's anywhere near his prime to give up on Europe and come to MLS. The Sounders were presumably willing to spend million of dollars just in transfer fees to make it happen, but the allure of winning MLS Cup simply can't compare to winning a La Liga title or competing on Europe's biggest stage. Valencia is currently eighth in La Liga's table, but has qualified for the Round of 16 in the current UEFA Champions League.

If you're looking for a positive spin, it's that the Sounders are thinking big in their pursuit of Designated Players. Valdez has mostly been coming off the bench for Valencia, but has still managed to score three goals in league play and one more in Champions League. He's also a starter for Paraguay's national team, having scored 12 goals in 63 appearances. He would have immediately been one of the top strikers in MLS had the Sounders convinced him to make the move.