For large chunks of this offseason, rumors have swirled around the possibility of Nicolás Lodeiro leaving the Seattle Sounders. First it was Cruz Azul — a rumor that appears to have been conjured virtually from thin air. More recently, he’s been linked to a potential move back to Boca Juniors. This has had the air of more plausibility, in part because he seems to constantly be linked to moves there and various club officials have clearly been talking about him to media members.

Up until now, though, Lodeiro had never directly addressed the rumors. Talking to reporters at MLS Media Day on Saturday, Lodeiro finally went on the record.

Lodeiro admits if Boca really wanted him to come back, he would go, and says he thinks the Sounders fans would understand. — Alicia Rodriguez (@soccermusings) January 19, 2019

That’s not a denial, admittedly, but there are a few bits of context that I think are important. First off, I suggest you read my broad primer on “How to assess Nicolas Lodeiro rumors.”

I’ll add elements that address the various criteria I brought up in that story:

The Sounders have told me that Boca has not approached them about a transfer, let alone submitted a formal offer. Even if they did, I’m told the Sounders are not remotely inclined to let Lodeiro go back to Boca on a discount. Boca, themselves, have admitted they can’t add Lodeiro because they don’t have any room on their roster. While Lodeiro clearly has a soft place in his heart for his time at Boca — and probably wants to leave open the possibility of returning there at some point — he also seems to be reasonably happy here.

Lodeiro: "No other supporters compare" to Sounders', even though Atlanta's supporters seem to enjoy themselves. But he says the rest of MLS fans copy off the great example of the Sounders fanbase. — Alicia Rodriguez (@soccermusings) January 19, 2019

In other words, there’s every reason to believe that Lodeiro will remain with the Sounders for the foreseeable future and that he’ll continue to be a productive and happy player.