In one of the more bizarre MLS transfer rumors in recent memory, Sporting Kansas City reportedly offered up to $25 million to sign New York City FC's star attacker, Nicolás Fernández Mercau.
Germán García Grova, César Luis Merlo, and Tom Bogert all confirmed Sporting Kansas City made the enormous offer to NYCFC, with García Grova and Merlo claiming NYCFC accepted the offer.
All three, though, say the deal hasn't been finalized, with Merlo suggesting Fernández Mercau couldn't agree to personal terms with SKC, which held up the transfer. Tom Bogert reported on Friday that the talks were not "currently active," and Fernández Mercau featured in this Sunday's 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution, suggesting the 26-year-old Argentine will remain an NYCFC player, at least for now.
Even if this particular deal is dead in the water, the story is juicy enough that it's worth retelling in full.
Sporting Kansas City, the worst team in MLS this season and a notoriously low-spending side, submitted what would be the second-highest transfer fee in MLS history for a player already playing in MLS.
They did so with an injection of new cash from their new owner, Peter Mallouk, and under the guidance of their new president of soccer operations and GM, David Lee, who just came over from NYCFC this past winter after serving as their sporting director for five seasons.
Just last summer, Lee himself played a part in signing Fernandez Mercau for NYCFC, acquiring him from Elche CF in Spain in a transfer believed to be worth around $9 million — a fraction of the $25 million he's reportedly bidding for that same player less than 13 months later.
This story has everything: A star whose future hangs in the balance, a front office exec turned double-agent pulling strings from inside both organizations, and what I’m picturing to be several briefcases full of cash on an Etihad Airways flight bound for New York. If we keep this up, Apple TV could start putting MLS under the "Drama" section of the streaming service's homepage.
Above all, though, this story gives us a peek into how NYCFC views its relationship with Fernández Mercau these days, and tells fans something about the club's ambition and timeline when it comes to trophy-hunting.
Willing to sell
Friday's reporting reveals that NYCFC accepted an offer for their star player halfway through a season in which they're firmly in a playoff race. No matter the price tag, that's a tough pill for fans to swallow.
