ESPN reporting NYCFC wants Rusnak is just baseless rumor

A-ha, silly season.

Sure, it’s February, but it’s MLS, and that’s when silly season really starts. Right now, we’re looking at one particular rumor that has us doing two things: First, belly-laughing, because, well, really? And second, it has us covering our heads with sand as quickly as possible, because we’re all a little bit paranoid about these things.

Oh, the rumor? You probably read the headline, but ... ESPN is reporting, through “a source,” that Albert Rusnak is a target for New York City FC, mostly because Patrick Vieira coached Rusnak while he was in the Manchester City FC academy.

Our understanding? It’s “baseless speculation,” which is what we’ve been told by a club representative.

There are no quotes in the ESPN article. The closest we get?

But a source close to the player said Vieira has been monitoring Rusnak’s progress and is now keen to work with him again at NYCFC.

Oh, he’s “keen to work with him again,” you say? I’m shocked. Shocked!

If NYCFC were to offer something for Rusnak, it would almost certainly be the largest movement of allocation money in the league’s history. If the Dom Dwyer move was worth over $1.6 million in allocation, a move for Rusnak would have to greatly surpass that.

So, yeah. This one’s not happening.