Reports: Atletico Nacional puts the brakes on rumor of Alejandro Bernal transfer to New York Red Bulls

If the New York Red Bulls do sign Atletico Nacional's Alejandro Bernal, it will be interesting to learn what the club intends to do with him. Bernal is generally described as a defensive midfielder, and currently RBNY has several options at that position. But the Red Bulls have scarcely started to trouble the transfer market this winter, and we know the team has to make a few deals: its current roster is not at all sufficient to carry it through the 2017 season. Deals are doubtless in progress, some will eventually be made, and the squad for the coming year will reveal itself in due course.

Until then, all we have to ponder are rumors and reports of varying degrees of credibility and plausibility. The rumor that Bernal is on RBNY's radar was implausible for the reasons already described: he plays just about the only position the Red Bulls don't seem to need to reinforce at the moment.

But a flurry of Tweets on Friday, January 6, seemed to boost the credibility of the story and at the same time walk it back  a little:

#AtléticoNacional Gen.Manager confirmed contacts between #MLS and Alejandro Bernal BUT said there is NO official offert to the club cc #RBNY

— John E. Rojas (@jrojasa75) January 6, 2017

Hay acercamientos desde la MLS por Alejandro Bernal pero ningún equipo ha hablado con @nacionaloficial.

— Lucero (@Ellucero) January 6, 2017

Por Alejandro Bernal no ha llegado oferta oficial de la MLS al club pero el jugador sí ha tenido contactos con empresarios de esa liga.

— Blog Verdolaga (@BlogVerdolaga) January 6, 2017

Interest from MLS, but no firm offers - per an exec at Atletico Nacional, we're told. Fair enough.

The notion that Bernal is on his way to RBNY is still very much out there: Futbol Red, for example, is still including his possible flight to the Red Bulls on its transfer window watch-list. But there is the sense the brakes are being applied to this story.