Following the end of the 2023 MLS season, attacking midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro announced he will leave the Seattle Sounders after spending eight years with the franchise. However, that won’t be the end of Lodeiro in MLS.
According to multiple reports, Lodeiro is currently finalizing a deal with Orlando City. The exact terms of the agreement are still being kept under wraps, but Lodeiro isn’t expected to get a Designate Player contract like the one he had with Seattle.
There was a lot of interest in Lodeiro, who scored one goal and dished 10 assists in 2023, from the moment it became clear he won’t be returning to Seattle. Clubs from his native Uruguay, including his boyhood team Nacional, were keen to bring him home, but the 34-year-old player made it his priority to continue his career in MLS.
Reportedly, Lodeiro’s final three options included Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes, and Orlando City. In the end, he liked the project in Orlando the most and will continue his career with the 2022 U.S. Open Cup champions.
Nicolas Lodeiro joined the Seattle Sounders in 2016 after stints with Ajax, Botafogo, and Boca Juniors. He quickly established himself as one of the best players in the MLS, helping the club win the MLS Cup in his first year. Sounders won another MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions League with Lodeiro manning their midfield while he earned a number of individual honors, including the MLS Best XI nod in 2020.
