Report: The New York Red Bulls are not chasing Carlos Vela

There a was a time, not so long ago, when almost every big name player with a yearning for a better contract and an enterprising agent would be linked to MLS. And almost every MLS transfer rumor that mattered included mention of the New York Red Bulls.

But those days passed as it became clear RBNY was serious about its "no soloists" team-building philosophy, and was committed to transforming itself from a club that buys famous names to one that makes them . So the rumors have slowed substantially over the course of this year, and this made the recent story linking Carlos Vela to RBNY a welcome throwback to the days when the Red Bulls were a hypothetical destination of choice for agents seeking to illustrate their clients' options in the press.

RBNY, however, doesn't really like to play the rumor game. The Vela rumor was allowed a few hours in the sun, before the club stepped in to chase it away. EmpireOfSoccer.com reports "sources with knowledge of the situation" say there is "nothing" to the story that the Red Bulls are among the leading candidates for Vela's signature.

Adios, Carlos. Adios, best RBNY rumor of the off-season so far.