Seattle Sounders FC today announced that it has signed Pedro de la Vega as a Young Designated Player. The 22-year-old attacker comes to Seattle from Club Atlético Lanús of the Argentine topflight, where he tallied 17 goals and 14 assists over five seasons. The first Young Designated Player signing in Sounders FC history, de la Vega was introduced officially this morning at a press conference at the Sounders FC Center at Longacres. He joins the Rave Green on four-year contract with a club option for 2028, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
“We are thrilled to welcome Pedro to the Sounders organization and the city of Seattle,” said Sounders FC General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “A talented, exciting young player with a ton of promise ahead of him, we believe Pedro is an excellent addition to our team both on and off the field.”
De la Vega occupies a Young Designated Player slot, joining fellow Designated Players Raúl Ruidíaz and Albert Rusnák on the roster. He is the club’s first Young Designated Player and 17th overall Designated Player since Seattle joined MLS in 2009.
De la Vega has spent his entire professional career with Lanús of the Argentine Primera División, debuting in 2018 and going on to make 127 appearances (77 starts) across all competitions for the club. The Olavarría, Argentina native is coming off a breakout season in 2023, finishing second on the team with six goals and adding three assists in 25 matches during Lanús’ Liga Profesional season, in addition to four assists in 13 matches during the club’s Copa de la Liga Profesional run. The impressive season came following a 2022 campaign where de la Vega appeared in only one match due to injury.
“We are very excited to welcome Pedro to our team and can’t wait to get to work with him in preseason camp,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “He’s a dangerous player with a creative skillset in the final third. As a coaching staff, we look forward to seeing how he can elevate our attack.”
Prior to the 2022 season, de la Vega made 15 or more appearances every season he was with the club, including a 2021 campaign where he appeared in 36 matches across all competitions, recording four goals and two assists. He notably made nine appearances (seven starts) in Lanús’ second-place run in 2020 Copa Sudamericana, scoring a goal against Brazilian giant São Paulo.
On the international stage, de la Vega made his Argentina National Team debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, appearing in three matches (one start). Prior to the Olympics, the midfielder recorded 17 appearances for Argentina at both the U-20 and U-23 levels, scoring a goal in an international friendly against the Saudi Arabia U-23s on June 11, 2021. De la Vega started his international career as a 17-year-old at the 2019 South American U-20 Championship, tallying two assists in nine appearances (six starts) en route to Argentina’s second-place finish. De la Vega also represented the Argentina U-20s at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland in 2019, appearing in three matches.
Sounders FC began preseason preparations this week and now departs for a two-week training camp in Marbella, Spain. Seattle begins its 2024 Major League soccer campaign against LAFC on Saturday, February 24 at BMO Stadium (1:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, FOX, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM).
TRANSACTION: Sounders FC signs midfielder Pedro de la Vega as a Young Designated Player to a four-year contract through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028 on January 24, 2024.
Name: Pedro de la Vega
Position: Midfielder
Number: 10
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165
Hometown: Olavarría, Argentina
Date of Birth: February 7, 2001 in Olavarría, Argentina
Citizenship: Argentina
Acquired: Signed as a Young Designated Player to a four-year contract through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028 on January 24, 2024
Previous Clubs: Lanús (2018-2023)
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