MLS Transfer Rumor: Salvadoran midfielder Jaime Alas looks to join the San Jose Earthquakes

Reviving a story that surfaced last June following the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, reports late Thursday out of El Salvador revealed that Salvadoran International Jaime Alas has a strong interest in joining the San Jose Earthquakes. The 22 year old midfielder had been courting a move from El Salvador club team Luis Ángel Firpo to Guatemalan side C.S.D. Comunicaciones, but his agent stated yesterday that loan negotiations had failed to produce an agreement. Still looking to make a move from Firpo, Alas will again turn his attention to MLS and the Earthquakes.

After bowing out of last year’s Gold Cup to Panama in the quarterfinals of the knockout rounds, as many as three members of the El Salvadoran National Team were reported to be on the verge of signing with MLS. Forward Rodolfo Zelaya, who led the team with four goals in the tournament, was rumored to be a target of the Houston Dynamo, but instead remained with his Salvadoran club side Alianza. Meanwhile, Alas told the press upon his return to El Salvador that he was a target of the Earthquakes, but the midfielder never came to San Jose on trial and nothing was worked out during the MLS summer international transfer window.

With the loan deal to Comunicaciones scuttled, speculation has returned that Alas will try to make the move to MLS. If he were to join the San Jose Earthquakes, he would join a trio of former players that played internationally for the Central American nation — Ronald Cerritos, Ramón Sánchez, and Arturo Alvarez.

(Thanks to @CulebritaM for the tip)