Report: Spartak looking for transfer, not loan, of Movsisyan

Real Salt Lake's interest in Yura Movsisyan may have hit a speed bump, if Russian reports today are to be believed.

According to a report from TASS, Spartak Moscow are only willing to part with Movsisyan for a transfer fee; Real Salt Lake, the report says, were interested in a loan for the player.

While there's no saying what Spartak is asking for Movsisyan, a transfer fee on top of his apparently high salary make acquiring the player a difficult proposition.

Beyond that, there's always some risk involved in signing a player from overseas, and even if they've played for your club before, there's no guarantee they'll adapt quickly enough to justify costs.

All this underscores the tricky position MLS clubs are in right now. To improve, they'll need to continue to bring in players of increasing quality. But those players' salaries and transfer fees often occupy a zone between MLS and top-tier European clubs, where you're more likely to see them move elsewhere.

Until MLS teams can routinely start shelling out $1-2 million for a player without blinking, moves like this one may not be realistic.

Of course, it's early days yet, and Movsisyan could still find his way to MLS — this may be more talk than anything else.