Rumor: New York Red Bulls might gazump Marseille and Sporting with loan offer for Milan's Leonel Vangioni

The rumor mill seems to be struggling to get any credible insight into the New York Red Bulls' winter transfer plans. We know RBNY does have plans to boost its squad for 2017: it currently only has 19 players contracted to the first team(and Anatole Abang, loaned out to Denmark until the summer). There will be additions to the squad, but the club is doing a pretty good job of keeping its thoughts out of reach of the press.

Still, it is clear the Red Bulls will add a few players before kicking off their 2017 season on February 22 against Vancouver Whitecaps in CONCACAF Champions League. Obligingly, the rumor mill is trying to find a few names for fans to consider.

Mlssoccer.com picks up on a tweet that is a request for information more than a rumor - which you may take as a sign of the hard times that all would-be RBNY rumor-mongers find themselves in: there's not a lot out there for us.

Rumble on radio that
Leonel Vangioni of @acmilan may go on loan to @NewYorkRedBulls. @MLSTransfers @101singer truth to this?

— Kelvin Loyola (@Kelvin_Loyola) December 25, 2016

Leonel Vangioni is a 29-year-old Argentine left back who has spent almost his entire career playing for top-flight clubs in his home country. In 2016, he made a move to AC Milan - a move that hasn't really worked out at all: Vangioni has yet to make a single competitive appearance for his current team.

He's a player who probably should make a move, even is he has only recently landed in Milan. Rumor has it Milan has identified him as a player who should be moved on to make room for new recruits; the Red Bulls clearly need some more players, and they know a thing or two about under-used Argentine talent: it's a match made in rumor mill heaven.

Mostly, however, the rumor mill thinks Vangioni might land at Olympique de Marseille or Lisbon's Sporting Clube de Portugal.

With regard to RBNY: one should also note he is 29 years old - a little old for the Red Bulls, perhaps. Vangioni's age might not be a issue if he filled a position of urgent need, but he's traditionally regarded as a left back and is said to be capable of playing left wing: even with only 19 players on the roster, the Red Bulls already have starters under contract at both positions. There is always room for an upgrade, and perhaps RBNY has been scouting Milan's training sessions and seen a chance to scoop up an undervalued player. Kudos to the scouting department, if that is the case.

For now, however, this seems like a long shot. Vangioni probably should get out of Milan for the sake of his career, and rumors of his departure have been out there for a while, suggesting someone is eager to see the player move on - but there isn't any obvious reason why the Red Bulls should be interested, or why Vangioni should believe RBNY is the club to get his career back on track (give Gonzalo Veron a call, Leonel).

This rumor needs a little more substance before it is worth getting excited about.