Reports: Nacional No Longer In For Carlos Valdes

First Boca Juniors left the playing field for the services of Carlos Valdes and now fellow South American power Nacional have also exited the race for his signature.

The Philadelphia Union captain's options for a possible loan move to a team in Copa Libertadores took another hit after Nacional, like Boca, signed a different defender (Boca brought in Chiqui Pérez). Nacional was able to sign fellow Colombian defender Efrain Cortes, who flew down to Uruguay to seal his deal today, according to Ovacion Digital.

"The idea is to introduce myself as soon as possiblem so in the afternoon I'm embarking into Uruguay. I'm gonna pass my medical tests and sign the contract," said the Colombian defender Efrain Cortes, in dialogue with the "Last Arc "of the Sport 890 and referring, obviously, to his arrival with Nacional.

Cortes' acquisition has removed Nacional's need for a starting caliber central defender, leaving only Santa Fe and Deportivo Cali as the teams interested in, or who have already tabled a bid for, Valdes.