The rumor mill is in full swing as Major League Soccer nearsthe start of its summer transfer window and, on Wednesday, one of soccer’sbiggest names got caught square in the middle of it. According to a report in the New York Post, Braziliansuperstar Kaka could soon be MLS-bound as his agent, Diogo Kotscho, told thepaper that “in the future probably [Kaka] will join MLS”.
If anyone might shed some light on Kaka’s transferspeculation, D.C. United midfielder Marcelo Saragosa would be the man. The pair grew close while playing inSao Paolo FC’s youth system during the 1990’s and served as each other’s bestman in their respective weddings.
But despite the fact that Saragosa keeps in close touch withhis childhood friend, he was as surprised as everyone else when Kaka’s name was linkedto MLS.
“I don’t know anything yet,” Saragosa said in a Spanishlanguage interview following Thursday’s practice. “We’ve talked but I don’t think there is anything concrete.I think it is just rumors.”
On this week’s
Capital Soccer Show
, Kyle Martino noted thatD.C.’s biggest rival is working on a major move. Though he didn’t name Kaka specifically, the NBC SportsNetwork analyst’s description of New York’s needs seemed to match a player ofthe Brazilian’s ilk.
“Hans Backe actually told us in our conference before thegame that they have a huge DP signing they are getting ready to make,” Martinosaid Tuesday evening. “And youshould have seen the grin on his face when he said it. I don’t know if it’s the likes of[Andriy] Shevchenko or one of those big name guys that keeps getting thrownaround like [Alessandro] Del Piero. But there is a big player and I think it’s an offensive player either aforward or central midfielder that is getting ready to come to the Red Bulls."
Saragosa doesn’t think that player will be the man he calls his best friend. At least not for now.
“I always ask him when he is coming to MLS and he says notright now,” Saragosa added. “Alittle further down the road he has some desire to be here but not for anothertwo or three years.”
