Sakiewicz: Union Working On "Complicated, Multi-Player" International Deal

Well here's an interesting subplot to the Union's 1-1 draw in Chicago, and particularly ahead of Saturday's home match against Houston: despite a report posted today on Major League Soccer's official website citing officials of Mexican side Veracruz that an acquisition of Carlos Ruiz's rights from MLS has gone through, Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz told Union play-by-play announcer JP Dellacamera that this is not the case. Indeed, Dellacamera got Sakiewicz to reveal the following nugget in a conversation between the two yesterday that was quoted several time during tonight's telecast on Comcast SportsNet:

The club is involved in a complicated, multi-player deal with multiple teams outside of MLS.

Vague, but oh so tantalizing. Dellacamera said that he specifically got in touch with Sakiewicz again today to ask if anything had changed since they last spoke, but Sakiewicz reiterated that Ruiz's rights still belonged to the Union and that no deal had been finalized just yet. So this, of course, begs several questions, starting with: what the heck is up? Does Veracruz believe they have completed a deal for Ruiz's rights when they haven't? Or are the Union trying to buy time to work on this mystery deal by holding back an announcement regarding Ruiz? Is it possible that this deal involves 21-year old Saprissa striker Josue Martinez, whose rights the Union apparently unsuccessfully tried to purchase last week?

We don't know the answers to any of these questions quite yet, but we'll keep our ears open. It looks like something substantial is about to take place, and probably sooner rather than later, given that the current international transfer window closes on the 14th. Stay tuned...