MLS may loan out players

American defender Aaron Long and winger Paul Arriola could be loaned to European soccer clubs from Major League Soccer after the United States’ exhibition against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday in Orlando, Florida.

Long’s agent was discussing a loan from the New York Red Bulls to English champion Liverpool, which is in fourth place and needs a central defender because of injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe

Gomez and Joel Matip.

Arriola could be loaned from D.C. United to Swansea of the second-tier League Championship. He would join Jordan Morris, who was loaned from Seattle on Jan. 21 and made his debut for the Swans on Saturday as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 3-1 win at Rotherham.

England’s January transfer deadline is 4 p.m. MST (11 p.m. GMT) Monday.

Players remaining in MLS may not have matches this spring. The league is threatening its players’ association with a lockout unless an agreement on changes to the collective bargaining agreement is reached by Feb. 4. The season is to start April 3.