Paul Bravo, Rapids vice president of soccer operations and technical director, checks his phone during the club’s training session Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. (Daniel Boniface, The Denver Post)
As the Rapids get closer to the start of the 2015 season, they are still hopeful of bringing in a player or two on loan from Arsenal, the English Premier League side also owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
“We’ve been talking with Arsenal quite a bit,” said Paul Bravo, Rapids’ vice president of soccer operations and technical director. “There’s a few players that we’ve been monitoring. One thatap currently in an injury situation that we were hoping to bring over. There’s another one that we’re considering at this point, but nothing concrete. But we have been in communication with them in hopes that we can maybe secure one or two players.”
Bravo did not reveal which players the Rapids were eyeing.
Last season, Bravo and Rapids president Tim Hinchey , chief executive of Arsenal, to discuss how the clubs could collaborate in a more meaningful way. The possibility of player loans and shared scouting resources were discussed.
As for the likelihood the Rapids will land an Arsenal player on loan this season, Bravo pegged the chances at a coin flip, 50-50.
“The reality is itap not just about our relationship, itap about what those players want to do at the end of the day as well,” Bravo said. “We can talk about players all we want, but at the end of the day once you get down to it, being able to sell them on the project that we have here, the connection, a lot of times those players they prefer to be there.”
Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni had originally planned to visit Arsenal over the winter, but instead and Fulham, where the Rapids were .
The Rapids did land one person from Arsenal this offseason, new . He spent 13 years as managing editor for the Arsenal Media Group.
“Itap a matter of finding that player that wants to come here and give it a go,” Bravo said.
