LA Galaxy face competition for Sacha Kljestan

This afternoon an article was posted at the Columbus Dispatch which sheds a different light on the LA Galaxy's alleged pursuit of Sacha Kljestan opening up the possibility of a second, unpublished allocation ranking for Designated Players.

Neither of the salient points in the article were corroborated by league sources, but the facts are these. Gregg Berhalter told reporters that the Columbus Crew are targeting a big national-team player who had reached out about playing for his side. Berhalter also told reporters the Crew sit fourth on a secret designated player allocation ranking as opposed to their current spot atop the regular MLS allocation ranking which is published. A league spokesperson did not confirm this.

Berhalter was also pressed on whether the big national-team player was Sacha Kljestan. The Columbus Dispatch claims multiple sources that is the player involved, but Berhalter declined to mention the specific player's name.

So this is what we have had confirmed by at least one official source. The LA Galaxy have made a move to climb higher on the allocation rankings, although there is a separate allocation ranking for Designated Players. This is apparently separate from the DP of a certain threshold rule that brought Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley back to MLS.

There's so much smoke around Sacha Kljestan that it's absurd to think there isn't a fire there, plus don't forget that the Fire are also apparently linked with Jermaine Jones so that's two USMNT names being thrown around while this new rule is coming out.

So are the Galaxy after a target which hasn't come up yet? And where are they on this super secret Designated Player Allocation Ranking?