Struggling Sounders secure attacking help, acquiring Dejan Joveljic for $6M
· Yahoo Sports
It has been a difficult summer for the Seattle Sounders, but the team hopes to have found a boost, acquiring forward Dejan Joveljić from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $6 million.
The Sounders have not won in MLS play since May 13 with a weekend draw with FC Cincinnati snapping an eight-game losing streak. They also lost two of three Leagues Cup games and were eliminated at the group stage of the tournament they won last season.
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Now, they have added Jovelić, also signing him to a deal that will keep him in Seattle through the 2029-30 season with an option for 2030-31.
“I’m a guy who likes to first of all win and score,” Jovelić told the Sounders' official site. “That’s my main job. I’m best in the box, I feel that I play my game in the box and around the box, so I’m able to score with left, right, head – it doesn’t matter.
"And I think I’m going to make our fans happy.”
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A rash of injuries, especially in attack – though the center-back position also has been hard hit – have made it difficult for the Sounders to find the form fans have come to expect from the perennial contenders. Manager Brian Schmetzer and general manager Craig Waibel both have said throughout August that moves are needed.
Forward Jordan Morris suffered a quadriceps injury in a July 16 loss to the rival Portland Timbers and Jesus Ferreira suffered a hamstring injury in an Aug. 16 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Attacking midfielder Pedro de la Vega, who missed most of the season returning from a kneecap issue, also suffered a quad injury in August.
Midfielder Cristian Roldan and center back Yeimar Gomez-Andrade also have been sidelined for considerable time during the slump.
“We’re thrilled to add a player of Dejan’s caliber to our group,” Waibel said in a news release. “He is a proven goal scorer in the prime of his career with a track record of producing at a high level and delivering in big moments. Dejan understands what it takes to win in MLS and not only gives us an immediate boost, but provides a vital building block for the future.”
It is the second time Joveljic has been traded under MLS' cash-for-trade mechanism, which was introduced in 2025. The 27-year-old was the first player moved under the mechanism, which fans have branded a "cashfer," heading to SKC from the LA Galaxy for $4 million.
The $6 million price tag this time around is the third-highest a team has spent on a cashfer. FC Cincinnati secured the services of Brazilian attacker Evander for just more than $12 million and Toronto FC acquired Djordje Mihailovic for $9 million.
The Sounders are next in action on Aug. 29 when they host the Chicago Fire.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Struggling Sounders secure attacking help, acquiring Dejan Joveljic for $6M