Today, North American transfer expert Tom Bogert tweeted that Orlando City SC have rejected a bid of around $8 million from Red Star Belgrade for our Designated Player, Facundo Torres.
A story first reported by Adam Leventhal of The Athletic, Bogert tweeted he: “Would assume that’s not close to Orlando’s valuation” with Alonso Contreras tweeting that El Cuervo’s preference is a transfer to either La Liga or the Premier League.
Sources: Orlando City reject bid around $8 million from Red Star Belgrade for star winger Facundo Torres.
Would assume that’s not close to Orlando’s valuation of their star winger. @AdamLeventhal first reported.
More here⤵️ https://t.co/dN1S0UqdPV
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 10, 2024
Per Sources
Facu is aiming to play in either #LaLiga or the #PremierLeague.📷 @AreaSportsNet pic.twitter.com/4Q6L0HyvvX
— Alonso Contreras (@alonso_purple) July 11, 2024
It remains to be seen whether Red Star Belgrade will return with an improved offer for Facundo Torres.
Since the Lions signed Torres for a reported club record $9 million fee in January 2022, Orlando City SC were never going to entertain this $8 million offer.
After all, Facundo Torres has continued to improve since moving to Central Florida from Peñarol in his native Uruguay.
Signing a new three-year contract with Orlando City SC in January, it’s going to take much more to prise Torres away from Inter&Co Stadium.
Back in September 2022, El Cuervo’s brace helped City secure their first major silverware as an MLS club – the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
While Facundo Torres is currently on six MLS goals and five MLS assists for 2024, his season has been disappointingly below par.
So much so that Oscar Pareja moved Torres to left wing back for multiple games!
With Orlando City SC struggling for much of the year, our talisman Torres has been strangely anonymous for large parts and has only recently looked like his old self again.
Also missing out on Marcelo Bielsa’s 26-man Uruguay squad for the 2024 Copa América, Torres has struggled to recapture the form that saw him linked with Premier League giants Arsenal in October 2022.
As for Red Star Belgrade, the 2023/24 Serbian SuperLiga champions are prioritising the signing of a new winger this summer.
And perhaps their interest in Facundo Torres is due to the fact they just sold a winger to Major League Soccer themselves.
Back on May 30, Red Star Belgrade sold Ghanaian international winger Osman Bukari to Austin FC.
Becoming a Designated Player at Q2 Stadium, Bukari departed Rajko Mitić Stadium having scored 19 goals in 56 Serbian SuperLiga appearances.
And it appears the 35-time Serbian SuperLiga champions are now looking to make up for these missing goals.
Beyond Bukari’s sale, Red Star Belgrade also sold New Zealand international midfielder Marko Stamenić to Nottingham Forest for a reported €5.5 million on June 21.
With Stamenić loaned to Olympiacos after signing a five-year deal at the City Ground, it’s worth noting that Red Star Belgrade have recently boosted their transfer kitty.
We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any more rumours or movement in the coming weeks and months.