Various Reports Link Rafa Marquez Move To Red Bull

By: Dave Martinez | July 21st, 2010

marquezhenry A year ago, there were rumblings of a potential move that would see Mexican central defender/midfielder Rafa Marquez make a switch from mighty Barcelona of La Liga to the New York Red Bulls. This year, the rumors seem to be holding more weight than ever.

(A Barcelona player of talent and class being rumored to join New York for nearly an entire year . . . sounds familiar?)

Marquez would represent the third and final Designated Player allotted to the New York franchise. As has been discussed here ad nauseum, he would be a player who would immediately stabilize an erratic midfield while bringing an interest from the Mexican fan base which could only be rivaled by fellow countryman, Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Yahoo sports quotes Rafa Marquez in a recent article discussing his possible future in New York:

“I want to leave Barcelona in a good way, I hope to get my passage to solve my future soon in the MLS or outside of MLS. I want to continue playing in the United States, Mexico or wherever the opportunity presents itself to me.”

Rightfully so, they point out Hans Backe’s familiarity with the Mexican Icon, having played assistant to the national team under Sven Goran Eriksson to further the link between both player and club.

And if further reports uncovered by Brian Lewis of the New York Post are any indication, the link between player and club may be stronger than we thought. Quoting Sport.es, he notes that a deal has been reached in principal which would wind up paying Marquez $2.8 million dollars a year for 3-4 years of service. The one hitch? A hefty transfer fee which still may apply if Barcelona wishes to part ways with the Mexican star.

A point that hasn’t really received much press is the praise that was heaped onto FC Barcelona during the Thierry Henry press conference last week. It began with the official announcement of the signings, where Dietmar Beiersdorfer made a point of acknowledging the role Barcelona played in allowing this transfer to happen, followed by Erik Soler, who echoed statements in several one on one interviews. Even in Thierry Henry’s closing words, he seemed to go out of his way to thank the organization for their critical role in making his dream of becoming a Red Bull a reality.

Perhaps I am reading to deeply into it, but it would seem smart business for the Red Bulls organization to employ such a tact if they are seeking to undertake more talent from the legendary Catalan club. I mean, if there is more negotiating to be done, they might as well do it with the right face forward. What better way than to thank the team publicly on the biggest stage in this teams history?

Other names continue to surface around the Red Bulls organization, but none as persistently or as reliable as Marquez. Can any of this be believed? Or have Red Bull been dragged into the silly season of international summer transfers? Share your thoughts after the jump.