Minnesota United: Loons submit $4M bid for Colombian playmaker
By Tyler Hanson
According to Paul Tenorio, Minnesota United have submitted a $4M bid for Colombian playmaker Nicolas Benedetti. Will the Loons make the move?
It looks like Minnesota United may be on the verge of bringing in their first DP signing, 20-year-old Colombian attacking midfielder Nicolas Benedetti, of Deportivo Cali. However, the sides remain far apart, as Cali is asking for $8M, which is twice as much as Minnesota’s bid.
To put this into perspective, Minnesota ran through their entire debut season without a DP, while watching Atlanta United display electric football behind marquee signings. Will year two be different for the Loons?
MNUFC has put in a $4 million bid for 20-year-old Deportivo Cali playmaker Nicolás Benedetti, per source with knowledge of the offer. Separate source tells me Cali asking price has been closer to $8 million.
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) January 25, 2018
Benedetti has been with Deportivo Cali for 3 seasons and has scored 14 goals in his 82 appearances with the club. He was named to Colombia’s preliminary squad for the Copa America Centenario in 2016 but was left off of manager Jose Pekerman’s final squad for the tournament, Benedetti has yet to make an official appearance for his country, but that should change in the future.
Can the two sides find a common number?
If Minnesota can agree on a fee with Deportivo Cali, Benedetti may finally provide the club with the skilled #10 they’ve been looking for. The Loons are in need of creativity in the midfield, and Benedetti should fill that void if he lands in Minnesota.
The two sides may be far apart right now, but that may just be a negotiation tactic on Minnesota’s part, so as not to overbid right away. It is worth noting that $8M is what Atlanta United paid for Miguel Almiron, and Benedetti, while promising, does not appear to be at that level. A fee of $5M-$6M seems more reasonable, and it also seems highly unlikely that Minnesota would pull the trigger on Benedetti if Deportivo Cali does indeed stand firm at $8M.
It will be interesting to see if Benedetti actually lands in Minnesota, but at this point, it’s just exciting for Loons fans to see their club finally linked to a multimillion-dollar bid. It’s new territory for the club and exactly the direction the fan base wants the organization to head.