It’s that time of the year again. Silly season heating up and today we’ve stumbled upon a doozy of a rumor. It’s important to remember that with all transfer rumors, especially during the winter in MLS, should be taken with a grain of salt.

However, Cesar Lusi Merlo, a news producer with TyC Sports in Argentina has tweeted out that Atlanta United are willing to pay a $14 million transfer fee for 18-year-old center attacking midfielder Ezequiel Barco from Independiente in the Argentine Primera Division.

El Atlanta de la MLS volvió a la carga por Ezequiel Barco. Está dispuesto a pagar 14 millones de dólares. Si el futbolista da el ok, puede irse de #Independiente. pic.twitter.com/3pgpORmsd6 — César Luis Merlo (@CLMerlo) November 28, 2017

Merlo says that Atlanta are willing to pay the fee, a sum that would smash the current top transfer fee ever paid by an MLS club. He also says that Independiente would allow the player to leave, but that it’s Barco who holds all the cards to allow the deal to happen.

Barco is a highly rated prospect in world soccer. FourFourTwo listed him at No. 17 in their Top 100 teenagers in the world in 2017. He has been tenuously linked to clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan and Zenit St. Petersburg in the past.

This rumor seems a bit far-fetched considering his status as a top prospect, but knowing the recruitment power of Tata Martino, anything is possible. Stay tuned as MLS silly season kicks into full gear...