MLS Ticker: St. Louis sells Gioacchini, Sounders add De La Vega, and more

One of St. Louis CITY SC’s top performers from 2023 is on his way back to Europe.

Nicholas Gioacchini has joined Italian Serie B side Como on a permanent deal from MLS, the club announced. Gioacchini enjoyed a positive 2023 year with St. Louis, finishing tied for the team lead with 10 goals last season.

“While always difficult to see one of our top performing players move on, we understand the attractiveness of joining European football and will be immensely proud to cheer Niko on, as he fights for promotion to Serie A,” said St. Louis CITY SC Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel. “He was a key member to our inaugural season’s success and will always be remembered for it. We wish him and his family all the best.”

The 22-year-old striker tallied career-highs in games played (36) and goals (10). He made the move to MLS in 2022, joining Orlando City before being selected by St. Louis in the 2023 MLS Expansion Draft.

Gioacchini has earned eight caps with the U.S. men’s national team to date and joins a Como squad that is fighting for promotion to Serie A.

Here is a closer look at all of the recent MLS News:

Sounders sign Pedro De La Vega as Young Designated Player

The Seeattle Sounders bolstered their attacking options for the future with Pedro De La Vega making the move to the Pacific Northwest.

De La Vega signed with the Sounders as a Young Designated Player, the club announced Wednesday. The 22-year-old attacker joins from Argentinian side Club Atlético Lanús, where he tallied 17 goals and 14 assists over five seasons.

He signed a four-year contract with Seattle through the 2027 campaign.

“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 spent his entire professional career to date with Lanús, debuting in 2018 and totaling 127 appearances across all competitions for the club. After suffering a major injury in 2022, De La Vega enjoyed a bounce-back campaign in 2023 with six goals and seven assists.

Inter Miami adds defender Freire on loan for 2024

Inter Miami added defensive help on Tuesday ahead of the start of its competitive schedule.

Nicolas Freire joined the Herons on a season-long loan spell from Liga MX side Pumas UNAM, both clubs announced. Freire spent the first half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan with Olympiacos in Greece.

“Nicolás offers us a sturdy defensive presence who we know will work hard and help command the backline,” said Inter Miami Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “He’s been successful in several high-quality competitions throughout his career, and we’re excited to bring him onboard to help us compete for titles in 2024. We believe his experience will be an asset for us.” 

The 29-year-old joins the Herons with over 250 professional appearances under his belt, previously playing for Argentinos Juniors, Montevideo City Torque, PEC Zwolle, Palmeiras, Liga Deportiva Universitaria, and Pumas UNAM.

From 2019-23, Freire logged 129 combined appearances for Pumas, totaling six goals and two assists. He has lifted two domestic trophies during his professional career to date.

Orlando City signs Tahir Reid-Brown to homegrown contract

Tahir Reid-Brown became the 15th homegrown player signing in Orlando City history.

The Eastern Conference club announced the move on Tuesday, signing Reid-Brown to a four-year contract through the 2027 season. Reid-Brown, 17, made 10 appearances with Orlando City B last season and six appearances during the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.

“Tahir is a player that has been in our Academy system for a while now and someone that we’ve seen really grow through our development pathway,” said Orlando City EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi. “He has great potential for growth as a player and we’re excited to see how he takes his opportunity with the First Team.”

Reid-Brown was named to the 2023 MLS NEXT All-Star Game after an impressive MLS NEXT season.

On the international level, Reid-Brown made three appearances for the U.S. Under-17 men’s national team at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Quick Kicks:

• The Colorado Rapids signed forward Remi Cabral to their first team for the 2024 season before loaning him to USL Championship side Phoenix Rising. Cabral, 24, finished tied for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot after totaling 19 goals and one assist in 20 appearances last season for Rapids 2.
• Minnesota United acquired defensive midfielder Carlos Harvey from Phoenix Rising on a two-year deal. Harvey scored seven goals and added five assists in 36 matches across all competitions in 2023 in the USL Championship.
• FC Dallas re-signed defender Amet Korca to a one-year contract through the 2024 season. Korca made five appearances for the first team and also featured in MLS NEXT Pro with North Texas SC.
• Lorenzo Dellavalle has made the move to LAFC from the second team. Dellavalle, 19, signed a three-year MLS contract through 2026, which includes a club option for 2027. He previously featured in Juventus’ youth system before moving to the United States.
• Charlotte FC has hired Tommy Wilson as the club’s new technical director. Wilson previously served as academy director of the Philadelphia Union since 2013. Miles Joseph has also been named associate head coach after previously serving as interim head coach of the Portland Timbers last year.
• Portland Timbers defender Claudio Bravo has underwent successful knee surgery, the club announced. Bravo will be sidelined 10-12 weeks following his procedure. The 26-year-old has made 82 combined league appearances since joining Portland in 2021.