UPDATE (Jan. 12, 7:23 pm ET): According to reporter Agustin Sileo, talks have advanced to the stage that Amarilla will fly to the United States this week to sign with Minnesota United on loan for one year with his link to Velez Sarsfield ending in June 2022.
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
There appear to be legs to a report that Minnesota United are targeting Paraguayan forward Luis Amarilla.
Last week, Seattle-based reporter Niko Moreno reported on Twitter that MNUFC were interested in the striker who was coming off a career, title-winning year with Universidad Catolica in Eduador, on loan from Velez Sarsfield.
Now Amarilla himself has told Paraguay's Radio Cardinal in an interview that of all potential bidders, he is closest to joining the Loons for the coming season. But Amarilla also says he has two years remaining on his contract with his Argentine employers.
It's perhaps worth noting that Velez Sarsfield was the club that loaned Yamil Asad first to Atlanta United in 2017 and then D.C. United in 2018, but could not agree on a pemanent sale with D.C. for the player until after the close of the 2019 MLS Secondary Transfer Window.
Amarilla, 24, has bounced around South America but most recently featured for Ecuador's Universidad Catolica, when he scored an eye-popping 19 goals in 24 appearances to lead the league in the recently-concluded Serie A season.
Making his debut for Libertad in his native Paraguay in 2013, Amarilla has also featured for Paraguay's Sol de América and Argentine outfit Velez Sarsfield. A former Paraguay U-20 international, he hadn't racked up a prolific record prior to this year, but does have experience at multiple clubs in the Copa Sudamericana.
Minnesota are likely to be in the market for a new forward, having lost both Darwin Quintero and Abu Danladi this offseason. The Loons will kick off the 2020 MLS regular season March 1 at the Portland Timbers.
