Colorado Rapids sign Argentinian playmaker Martin Rivero on loan

The loan is a two year loan deal with an option to buy the player should we really like Rivero.

Here is what I believe happened:

Rapids wanted to buy the player straight out, and believed they could do so because Rivero hadn’t been paid his wages by Rosario Central. The Club appeared to be in breach of his contract, so the Rapids could swoop in and grab him, pointing to that fact that Rosario hadn’t paid wages as reason why the Rapids don’t have to pay Rosario a transfer fee for the player (as they violated the contract).

Rosario, getting wind that the Rapids were going to make a swoop for Rivero, paid him his back wages, thus bringing them into alignment with the contract (with it’s buyout clause, most importantly) and Tim Hinchey and Paul Bravo then had to go into O SHIT mode because this was an important signing that could blow up in their face because Rosario decided to start playing hardball.

Rapids worked out a loan deal with Rosario, after Rosario realized they weren’t going to get any buyout money, they realized they could save money by just having the Rapids pay Rivero’s wages for two years. I am unsure of what the price of the buyout is in the loan, but if Rivero works out extremely well and becomes a key player for the Rapids, I don’t see how they are going to avoid ponying up the cash to buy his contract.

That’s how it worked out.