Rumor: Ecuador international Jordan Sierra linked to LAFC

It’s about time for the transfer rumors to really kick into gear for 2018 MLS expansion side Los Angeles Football Club, and on Monday a new one emerged: LAFC are interested in Ecuadorian international Jordan Sierra, according to Mercado Futbol EC, a Twitter account that shares Ecuadorian transfer news and rumors.

Sierra, 20, has spent his entire career to date in his native country, starting out at Ecuarorian second-division side Manta in 2014, before moving onto Serie B club Delfin, in 2015, winning the league title and moving up to the first division with them. This year, Delfin have qualified for next year’s Copa Libertadores tournament for the first time in their history.

Sierra is a midfielder, and has made his debut this year for Ecuador’s senior national team, making two appearances off the bench for La Tricolor. He is also an Ecuador youth international, having played in both the last edition of the South American U-20 Championship, one of the best scouting grounds in world soccer, as well as the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea this summer. Earlier this year, he was linked to Manchester City and Ajax in the Ecuadorian press, so he reportedly is drawing some interest.

As for the veracity of this rumor to LAFC, it’s a fair question, given that its source appears to be a Twitter account that merely tweets things out (not that it can’t be a legit source, just that it may not be). In the Ecuadorian press, there is an interview with the player from last week where he mentions his dream is to play in Europe and that after the current season in Ecuador he’ll be transferred, but he doesn’t know where he will go.

At the start of August, Delfin’s president told a radio show that MLS was the only place to have put in an offer for Sierra so far, although he declined to name the team interested in him, not altogether surprising considering the way MLS is structured and if it is LAFC, the fact that they don’t yet field a team.

For what it’s worth (not much), Sierra is listed as an LAFC player in the Spanish version of Wikipedia, but you know, pinch of salt and all that.

Finally, Angels on Parade reached out to an LAFC spokesperson about this rumor, but the spokesperson declined to comment on it.

So we’ll see. This rumor is fairly flimsy at this point but given the way Ecuadorian players are discussed in their native country, if there is more to it then we’ll hear about it. We’ll keep our eyes peeled on this and any other LAFC rumors that emerge.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

(h/t @tychoblue)