BBC reporter: Rusnak a target for European clubs

In news that will provoke inevitably two types of responses, BBC reporter Simon Stone is saying that our Albert Rusnak (with an emphasis on “our” from me) is a target for clubs from England, Scotland, and Germany.

READ: Ex-Man City starlet Rusnak in demand

The key line is this one:

Scouts from clubs in all three countries will watch the 23-year-old in Glasgow before what is likely to be a move away from current Major League Soccer outfit Real Salt Lake in January.

The first reaction is one straight from the gut: Hands off. He’s ours. What’s more, he’s under contract here, and there’s absolutely no way we signed him to a one-year contract.

Of course, a massive offer would almost certainly lead to our hand being forced, simply because that’s the nature of the beast, and when you get an offer that outstrips the value of a player, you really ought to take it. Not that we’ve had an offer, and not that this means we’ll actually get an offer.

The second reaction? Well, obviously. Why wouldn’t they look?

The kid’s really good. He’s young. He’s shown incredible talent. He deserves to be looked at by people far and wide, simply because that’s how good he is.

But clubs scouting a player is no new thing, and terrible, stupid rumors is no new thing, either.

“Likely to be a move away” is an unsourced statement by a single reporter, and there’s no reason we should believe it, whether he has a BBC tag alongside his name or not. Reporting on sport from the Beeb (not that one) often falls prey to the same rumor-mongering beasts, and whenever you see a rumor that has no source behind it, you should have alarm bells going off in your head.

Will Rusnak stick around? I sure hope so. I suspect Craig Waibel would have something to say about one of his players “likely” moving from MLS when under contract.