Tiago would be a major coup for Orlando City, so long as this player doesn't lose out

Concrete transfer rumours have been few and far between so far this off-season for Orlando City. That all looks like it's about to change, however.

On Friday, reports indicated that the club are working on a deal for Tiago, Bahia's left-wing prodigy who has been making waves in his native Brazil over the past season.

"The Major League Soccer club presented an official proposal to sign the 20-year-old, but the values were considered insufficient by the [Bahia] board," revealed sources close to the two-time Brazilian champions. "The North American team is considering increasing its offer and is expected to formalise a new bid in the coming days."

A star in the making

Only really enjoying as much game time as he has this term due to injuries around him and September's sale of club-record acquisition Lucho Rodríguez to Saudi Arabia, Tiago has certainly taken his chance by the scruff of the neck.

Helping himself to eleven goals and three assists, including a decisive hat-trick in the final of the regional Copa do Nordeste, he became the first Bahia man to hit double figures in a single season for over a decade.

Still inconsistent in the final third at his young age, Tiago is undoubtedly raw. A constant handful in the penalty area and excelling at beating his man, though, the talent is certainly there to be nurtured.

Rewarded with a new two-year deal in summer, Bahia are understandably unwilling to let their prized asset depart so easily. But their valuation doesn't seem to be deterring Orlando at present.

Risky business?

If a move can be agreed, Tiago will in all likelihood join on an U-22 Initiative deal. Unfortunately, this roster-building rule usually spells trouble for Orlando.

Remarkably, César Araújo has been our only true hit under this initiative since its inauguration five seasons ago. Yes, Ramiro Enrique's surprise sale did bring in a cool $3.3 million to be reinvested this winter, but he tried in vain to ever really cement himself as a starter in Orlando. And these two are by far the pick of the bunch.

I mean, who remembers Gastón González? Or Heine Gikling Bruseth? Even Nicolás Rodríguez, who arrived but a year ago, is already rumoured to be on his way out of the door.

On the one hand, it's exciting that Orlando are hell-bent on subverting the Major League Soccer mould and recruiting raw, young talent from across the globe. But all too often, as we have come to discover, this so-called 'potential' doesn't always translate into performances on the pitch.

A wasted exercise?

As promising as he may be, it's not as if Orlando desperately need Tiago, is it?

Tyrese Spicer has been nothing short of sensational since joining in the summer. Contributing two goals and two assists in just 363 minutes in that time, not to mention his stellar form with Trinidad and Tobago, he absolutely must be Óscar Pareja's go-to left winger next season.

And then there's Iván Angulo. However underwhelming the 26-year-old was last time out, we all know by now that Pareja prizes his selfless work rate.

But with rumours awash that certain players - even those who, like Angulo, had their contracts extended last month - may still depart this off-season, there's certainly a future in which he moves on.

If that happens, then Orlando should go all out for a left winger of Tiago's calibre to compete with Spicer. If not, then we'll just be wasting even more resources on a player who'll probably struggle for minutes.