Swirl of loan possibilities for Philly defender Carlos Valdes

It’s hard to say exactly what is going on with Philadelphia center back and captain Carlos Valdes, who is apparently going somewhere in January on loan.

Early reports had Valdes going to his former club in Colombia, Independiente Santa Fe, on a three-month loan assignment. That would put him back into the MLS scene about a month into the season. Given the Union’s recently acquired center back depth, that would be less than ideal, obviously, but hardly crushing.

Now, the loan deal may be for a bigger club, Argentina’s Boca Juniors, and for a longer spell. More details are at Brotherly Game.

What makes all this particularly intriguing is that the  Union, depending on how some things fall, could actually be in a situation where Valdes becomes surplus. That’s down to the recent acquisition of veteran center back Jeff Parke. And because former MLS Best XI center back Bakary Soumare was added late last year. And because Amobi Okugo emerged as a promising center back candidate in the final months of 2012, filling the position more than adequately as coach John Hackworth moved the talented U.S. under-23 out of midfield to a starting spot along the back line.

Clearly, this Valdes situation deserves watching – especially as one that could go several different ways.