Updated Rumor: Sporting KC Make Offer for Argentine Left Back

Update 8/30/2020 @ 6:42 PM: According to Cesar Luis Merlo, Sporting KC have made “a very good proposal” to the player. That makes it sound like it’s a free transfer and they are signing Sanchez Mino to a pre-contract. None of that detail is listed though. As stated below, it could still be a transfer for a very reduced fee or the team could just let the player walk since he wants out.

Per translate:

“Kansas City made a very good proposal to Sánchez Miño, who is close to agreeing with that club.

The option of going to Boca today is ruled out.

If he ends up accepting the proposal, he resigns in Independiente and goes to MLS.”

As our own Mike Kuhn pointed out yesterday (and Cody linked out to today), Sporting Kansas City are finally getting some transfer rumors in this slow summer market. Soy Del Rojo is reporting that Sporting KC are interested in acquiring the 30-year-old Juan Sanchez Mino for Argentine club Independiente.

Mino started his career with Argentina giants Boca Juniors and also played in Italy for Torino.

Recently, it was reported that Independiente tried to extend Mino but instead he requested to move on from the club. The rumor states that they are looking for $1 million for Mino, who according to Transfermarkt is under contract until summer 2021. If that’s true, he could leave on a free transfer in the winter.

It seems it may be hard to get $1 million for a player who can leave for free in a few months. Leaving for free would allow him to not take up a Designated Player spot but instead potentially land in Kansas City on a TAM (Targeted Allocation Money) deal.

Transfermarkt values him at $3.85 million so it’s unclear what his salary demands would be. That would make him the second most valuable player on the team (per TM) behind only Alan Pulido.

Juan Sanchez Mino primarily lines up at left back but has played wide midfielder (on the left), central midfield, left winger and even as a second striker. He has 16 goals and 23 assists over 260 appearances in his career. He’ll be 31 in January.

Does he Fit with Sporting KC?

If he truly is available on a free transfer, it’s a deal I could absolutely see Peter Vermes and SKC making. The man loves a bargain. I can’t see them executing a transfer right now, barring the fee being massively dropped. For a couple hundred thousand, Independiente could still get something and SKC could bring him in immediately.

Sporting currently have three open international roster spots, with one returning to Nashville SC in 2021 (it was acquired in the Adrian Zendejas trade). The other two available spots came open when Johnny Russell and Felipe Gutierrez got their green cards.

It’s unclear if PV (if he’s interested at all, it is a rumor after all) sees Mino as a left back or somewhere else on the pitch. Sporting KC acquired Luis Martins in July 2019 and he took over the starting job as the season went on. He did perform poorly against the Philadelphia Union and wasn’t in the lineup (or on the bench) when MLS returned last Friday. It wouldn’t be the first time a player fell out of favor with Vermes. Especially at left back.

Highlights

His highlights (which are obviously just that, highlights) look sharp. He is only shown in the attack but he seems quick, good with his feet and accurate in his passing. I particularly like that he wasn’t just sending crosses into the box but was passing the ball on the ground into open spaces for players to run onto. That feels like a good fit for the way KC plays since they aren’t particularly dynamic in the air.

What do you think? Is he a good fit? Is this just a silly season rumor? Join the conversation in the chat.