Nicolás Rodríguez departs for Atlético Nacional on year-long loan

Orlando City have today confirmed the departure of Nicolás Rodríguez to Atlético Nacional on a year-long loan.

“This move gives Nico the opportunity to earn consistent playing time while also opening up one of our U-22 Initiative spots for [this season]," said Ricardo Moreira on the club's official website. "We believe this is a great chance for him to further his development at a Colombian giant, while providing us more flexibility for our roster."

The Liga BetPlay Dimayor side also possess an option to buy should they be the impressed with the 21-year-old's performances this season, with Orlando retaining a future sell-on percentage if activated.

This move comes at the end of a disappointing debut year in purple for Rodríguez, who agreed an initial three-year stay in Central Florida just twelve months ago upon arriving from Fortaleza, also of his native Colombia.

Struggling for fitness early on, he failed to truly impress in what was his first start in Orlando's otherwise emphatic Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victory over Tampa Bay Rowdies in May.

Only three further starts followed throughout the remainder of the year as Marco Pašalić made the right-wing role his own, although Rodríguez did manage to claim his first Orlando goal from the bench to seal a 3-1 win at home to Sporting Kansas City in mid-August.

That lone strike, though, wasn't enough to convince Moreira and Óscar Pareja that he was ready to play a part in what surely promises to be a do-or-die year for Orlando in Major League Soccer.

Today's move leaves Pašalić as Orlando's only senior option on the right wing heading into the new season, although 17-year-old prodigy Gustavo Caraballo will eye this as further opportunity to stake his claim as a key part of Pareja's roster.