Report: Orlando City to Sign Attacking Midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro

The Athletic‘s Tom Bogert is reporting that Orlando City is in the process of finalizing a deal to sign free agent midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro. The 34-year-old Uruguayan ended an eight-year stint with the Seattle Sounders after the 2023 season. The report says Lodeiro won’t be a Designated Player, leaving one of those spots open for Orlando City (more on that below).

In his eight years in Seattle, Lodeiro made 231 appearances, tallying 58 goals and 62 assists. He played in 33 of the team’s 34 league games last year, scoring one goal and recording 10 assists, but falling out of the starting lineup before the postseason. However, he had 12 goals and nine assists in 34 games between MLS and the Concacaf Champions League in 2022. Internationally, Lodeiro earned 60 caps with Uruguay between 2009 and 2019.

As the focal point of the Sounders attack, Lodeiro won MLS Cups in 2016 and 2019, as well as the Concacaf Champions League — now Concacaf Champions Cup — in 2022.

The number 10 was a Designated Player for the Sounders, but sources told The Athletic the signing is under the maximum Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) amount, so he won’t require a DP spot. Facundo Torres is now a senior DP, giving the Lions two along with Martin Ojeda. For this reason, the club’s third DP must be a Young Designated Player (under 23 years old) or someone under the max TAM threshold. However, depending on Ojeda’s transfer fee, which has never been officially announced by the club but has been reported in a range anywhere from $4 million to $7 million, the club might potentially be able to buy down Ojeda, opening a spot for another senior DP. There are other permutations among the convoluted MLS rules that could free up a DP slot, including removing a U22 Initiative player from one of those three slots, but those are largely dependent upon the transfer fees as well (U22 players must occupy those slots for a minimum of two years and that number increases to three depending on salary plus transfer fee).

Lodeiro was a well-traveled player before arriving in Seattle, making stops at Nacional in Uruguay, Ajax in the Netherlands, Botofogo in Brazil, and Boca Juniors in Argentina. He took part in both the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups for Uruguay. His only appearance in the 2010 group stage was in the opener, in which he came off the bench and was sent off, but he played in both knockout games. He also took part in three of Uruguay’s four games in the 2014 tournament.

What It Means for Orlando City

The departures of club captain Mauricio Pereyra and Junior Urso following the 2023 season meant that Orlando City was in the market for a central attacking midfielder. Despite his age, Lodeiro is likely being brought in to fill that role. While he’s lost a step since joining the league, Pereyra had as well and played that position for the Lions recently. The difference between the two Uruguayans is that Lodeiro is a more accomplished finisher in front of goal and looks for his shot more often. In Seattle, he was a perfect example of a modern MLS 10.

The fact that he’s not signing as a DP is also a positive for Orlando City. The club sent striker Ercan Kara, who occupied one of those spots since signing prior to the 2022 season, to Turkey. That spot remains open for the Lions to bring in someone, though there currently are restrictions on who they can bring in. While the club might be able to buy down Ojeda to use it on a senior DP, Orlando City has had success with younger players, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they use it on a Young Designated Player — potentially a younger central attacking midfielder who could study under Lodeiro and provide coverage when fixture congestion is thick.

Additionally, Lodeiro’s time in the United States has allowed him to earn a green card, so he won’t occupy an international spot for the Lions. This benefit reduces the risk for a player filling a position of need and one who has had great success in MLS over a long period of time.

At 34, Lodeiro won’t be the player that led Seattle to three major trophies. However, he was playing on fieldturf during his home games at Lumen Field and will now have natural grass as his home surface. That could impact his legs the upcoming season, making him more durable.