Orlando City Transfers Defender Alex Freeman to Villarreal

Orlando City has announced the expected official transfer of Homegrown right back Alex Freeman. The U.S. international who saw a meteoric rise from reserve side player to MLS All-Star in 2025, has been sold to La Liga side Villarreal. The club did not disclose details of the deal, reportedly in the range of $4 million to $7 million, but did announce the fee was a club record for a Homegrown Player.

“Alex’s journey is a testament to the strength of our academy, OCB and the pathway we’ve built,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He showed maturity and commitment at every level, rising from a young prospect to an MLS All-Star and one of the league’s top emerging talents. Watching his development up close has been incredibly rewarding for all of us at the club. We’re proud of everything Alex has accomplished here and wish him continued success as he takes this next step in his professional career.”

The 21-year-old reportedly turned down an MLS U22 Initiative deal that would have made him one of Major League Soccer’s highest-paid right backs, opting instead to test himself in Europe. With the World Cup taking place in North America this season, many believed Freeman would stay for one more season to ensure he got the minutes necessary to solidify his position on the United States Men’s National Team roster. He may have done that with his most recent call-up, or he may have gotten assurances from USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino that his spot is secure. In the meantime, he’ll try to build on a great 2025 in one of the world’s top leagues.

It’s remarkable that Freeman went from an attacking threat with OCB that sometimes struggled in defending to an MLS All-Star and MLS Best XI honoree in such a short timespan. He is coming off his lone full top-flight season, having made 29 appearances (26 starts) and played 2,451 minutes. He scored six goals and added three assists, completing 82% of his passes, including 42 key passes. Defensively, he added 42 tackles, 26 interceptions, 86 clearances, and nine blocks. The young fullback made his first playoff start with the Lions at the end of the season and chipped in a pair of assists in the club’s 2025 Leagues Cup run.

Freeman leaves Orlando with 42 appearances (34 starts) to his name for the senior squad in all competitions, scoring six goals and adding seven assists. He represented Orlando City at the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, 2025 All-Star Skills Challenge, and won the MLS Young Player of the Year Award.

It was a season that drew interest from the national team, with Freeman making his senior USMNT debut June 6 against Turkey. He has since earned 12 more caps for a total of 13 with the USMNT. He scored his first two goals with the U.S. in a surprising 5-1 drubbing of Uruguay on Nov. 18 in Tampa.

“Obviously, I think it was something special, playing in my home state,” Freeman said about the brace in a television interview on TNT after the match. “Playing in Florida, I think it was something I had to show out. For my career, it’s just something I can add to my column, you know, getting this match ball and being able to get a goal for my national team, especially with my family here. So, it’s just been a good thing and I hope we can build on it.”

The Orlando City Development Academy product signed as the club’s 12th-ever Homegrown Player on Feb. 15, 2022. That deal ran through 2025 with an option year for 2026. The Lions exercised that option and hoped to sign him to a more lucrative deal and sell him later. A second outstanding season would likely have raised the asking price significantly. Freeman’s desire to go to Europe won out.

What It Means for Orlando City

This is obviously a blow to the Lions, losing one of the team’s best attacking players, and one who brought such a unique skillset to the pitch. Freeman’s loss, however, is mitigated somewhat by his desire to ensure the club could get a transfer fee rather than playing in Orlando until his option year expired after the 2026 season. If the figures reported are to be believed, that’s a good bit of business for an academy player. The obvious downside for the fanbase is that they only got to see one season of Freeman excelling on the field for the Lions.

The club had already parted ways with right backs Kyle Smith and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson this off-season, so Orlando City is down to another Homegrown, Zakaria Taifi, who signed his MLS Homegrown Player deal on May 17, 2025. Moreira has to go shopping for a new right back to go along with the new center back he needs to replace Rodrigo Schlegel and potentially some depth along that back line.

Freeman has the size, speed, and skills to excel even at the highest level. He’s still got a lot of upside that future development can bring out. But with the number of young players from MLS who go to Europe, get few minutes, and return to the U.S., Orlando City would be wise to position itself for Freeman’s potential future return…just in case.