A deal between Mexican club Atlas and the Houston Dynamo for 21-year-old Mexican international Edgar Pacheco fell through on Friday, Dynamo president of business operations Chris Canetti told MLSsoccer.com.
According to Canetti, the details of the deal had been agreed upon to make Pacheco the second Designated Player in club history, but the winger had a change of heart at the last minute.
“We reached an agreement on terms with [Atlas] regarding the transfer fee and had a general agreement on his salary,” Canetti said. “But unfortunately, the player decided that he did not want to come to MLS at this point in his career.”
Pacheco scored a goal in Mexico’s friendly with Bosnia in February in Atlanta, his second cap with El Tri. His international experience, youth, speed, and attacking skills made him attractive to the Dynamo, Canetti said. Additionally, Atlas were seeking the right deal to move the up-and-coming winger to a club outside Mexico.
“We liked his upside as a player, his youth, and we liked his value on the transfer market in the future so, really, there was everything to like about the deal,” said Canetti.
With the April 15 transfer deadline approaching, the Dynamo are not giving up the chase for a Designated Player. The club has maintained any such player will have to be the right fit both on the field and in the locker room, but Canetti was clear Friday the search will certainly continue up until the deadline.
“I can’t tell you who the targets are, but I can tell you that Dominic [Kinnear] and his staff will be very busy this weekend,” Canetti said. “On top of the Vancouver game, they’ll be making evaluations to determine if a move can be made before the window closes.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.
