The arrangement included an option for United to acquire him outright this winter, but with the sides unable to strike a deal, Asad has rejoined his parent team for workouts before the Superliga resumes in two weeks.

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United General Manager Dave Kasper said Friday that the organizations remain in talks, but as one person familiar with the negotiations said, Velez “is not budging.”

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Coach Ben Olsen deferred questions to Kasper, but when asked if Velez was being difficult, Olsen said, “Yup.”

United, one person with knowledge of the talks said, has “tried everything” and unsuccessfully enlisted help from MLS headquarters in New York.

Over the weekend, Asad told an Argentine radio station that “my head is with Velez. I decided to stay and I hope to take advantage of this second chance [with Velez Sarsfield]. I want to show that with everything I did in the United States.”

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Velez Sarsfield was reportedly fielding offers for another loan — in South America this time — but Asad said, amid the stalemate with United, he would prefer to remain with the club to which he has been tied since rising from its youth academy.

A similar scenario played out last winter when United was locked in conversations with the club for an extended time before reaching a deal a few weeks into D.C. training camp.

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Atlanta also tussled with Velez Sarsfield in 2017, when Asad spent the season with the MLS expansion team and established himself as one of the most influential players in the league in tallying seven goals and 13 assists. Unable to extend Asad’s stay, Atlanta traded his league rights to D.C. for $500,000 in financial considerations, known in MLS as allocation money.

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Asad, 24, proceeded to start 27 of 34 regular season matches and enter three others as a sub. His nine goals were fourth on United and eight assists were tied for second.

The outstanding issues have not been with the player, who seemed happy living and playing in the United States while earning $520,522 in guaranteed compensation last season, the sixth-highest figure on United’s roster. There were no apparent issues over salary.

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The sticking point involves a complicated payment plan that United would use to avoid salary-cap implications. It’s unclear how much compensation in total Velez Sarsfield is seeking. Extending the loan also was apparently discussed at some point but did not gain traction.

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There is also the possibility Asad would play in Argentina for the rest of the season, then return to MLS this summer. By then, however, United and other MLS teams probably will have moved on.

Asad’s departure would hurt United but not cause panic in the front office. Last month, partly in anticipation of losing Asad, United acquired Lucas Rodriguez on a season-long loan from Argentina’s Estudiantes. As with most loans, D.C. will have the option to purchase his contract next winter.

Rodriguez is an attacker, who, like Asad, is capable of filling roles on either wing, as well as in the middle. Just 21, he started 53 first-division matches in 2½ seasons for Estudiantes.

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He joins a well-stocked D.C. midfield corps that includes returning Argentine playmaker Luciano Acosta, 24, Rodriguez’s teammate at Estudiantes in 2015. Acosta came to Washington on loan from Boca Juniors in 2016; United purchased his contract after that season for $1.4 million.

Asad’s exit could enhance Zoltan Stieber’s role, but with a $1 million guaranteed contract, United would prefer to trade him or mutually agree to terminate his deal and allow him to sign in Europe. The Hungarian national team midfielder lost his starting job last summer; he is a technically skilled player but lacks the wherewithal to contribute defensively.

In Olsen’s three-man wave behind striker Wayne Rooney, the other regulars include Paul Arriola (U.S. national team) and Ulises Segura (Costa Rica).

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The defensive midfield is well-equipped with Russell Canouse (U.S. national team), Junior Moreno (Venezuela) and Chris Durkin (U.S. under-20 squad) vying for two starting jobs.

As for Asad, “we’re still working on it,” Olsen said. “Nothing is imminent . . . We return quite a few guys and we’re in pretty good shape.”