The Seattle Sounders just endured one of the worst weeks of their MLS era, but GM Garth Lagerwey says the club’s listless 3-0 losses at Chivas in the Concacaf Champions League last Wednesday and at FC Dallas on Sunday won’t change their overall timeline for signing a new Designated Player.
The Sounders currently have three DPs on the books in Nicolas Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey and Osvaldo Alonso, but they could buy down Alonso’s contract using Targeted Allocation Money to sign a new DP.
Seattle have been looking for a new DP since the offseason. They were initially looking to use the tag on a player in the band of three attackers in their 4-2-3-1 formation, but they shifted their focus to forward after striker Jordan Morris went down for the year in February with a torn ACL.
“I would say that we’re working as fast as we can in a delicate and comprehensive manner,” Lagerwey told MLSsoccer.com over the phone Wednesday. “No one game or the outcome of any one game is going to dramatically change our strategy, but Jordan’s out, so the sooner we get someone in, the better. We’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the club long-term.”
The reinforcement could theoretically come in the current transfer window, which is open until May 1, but Lagerwey indicated that it’s more likely Seattle will wait until the summer window opens in July to make a move.
“I think in a World Cup year, most players are playing for their clubs so the pool that you might get now is probably limited to players trying to break into a new team in an effort to win a World Cup place,” he said. “It’s tricky with that type of player in terms of it’s a good long-term fit or not, but we certainly are open to it if the right opportunity presents itself.”
Lagerwey declined to say how big of a budget Seattle have for a new DP, only saying that the club “expect to make a significant signing.” According to the MLS Players Association, Seattle paid Lodeiro $1.75 million and Alonso $1.14 million in 2017. Dempsey made $3.9 million in 2017, per the MLSPA. He signed a one-year deal for 2018 last November that, according to ESPN, is worth between $1.5 and $2 million.
