TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
It's been a crazy offseason for former Atlanta United midfielder Yamil Asad, but it appears that the saga could be coming to an end.
The Washington Post reported on Monday afternoon that D.C. United were "deep in talks" to acquire the rights to the Velez Sarsfield man, who had seven goals and 13 assists for ATLUTD in 2017 while on loan.
Paul Tenorio later reported at ESPN FC that a deal had been struck between the two MLS clubs and Velez, as Asad will reportedly be going on loan to D.C. with an option to buy.
D.C. would send at least $500,000 in allocation money to Atlanta for Asad's MLS rights, according to sources. D.C. will also pay $300,000 in loan fees to Velez for Asad, with an option to make it a full transfer for another $700,000 at the end of the season – matching the $1 million buy option on Asad's contract with Atlanta United last year.
D.C. would then use Targeted Allocation Money to buy down the Argentine's cap hit for the 2018 season.
If the deal were to happen, Asad would finally find a safe landing place in MLS after a drawn-out process. Minnesota United had previously shown interest in acquiring the 23-year-old according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but a source later confirmed to MLSsoccer.com that a deal looked unlikely.
Asad featured on the left wing for ATLUTD in 2017, a spot that Zoltan Stieber has been expected to play in for Ben Olsen's team in 2018. Asad would also battle Luciano Acosta and Paul Arriola for playing time in United's setup.
