Nicolás Lodeiro has agreed to join Orlando City, according to reporting by The Athletic’s Tom Bogert. Although exact numbers weren’t available, Lodeiro will apparently sign for less than the max-TAM threshold, which means he won’t count as a senior DP. Fabrizio Romano reported that it was a one-year deal with additional options.
BREAKING: Orlando City is finalizing a deal to sign two-time MLS Cup-winning No. 10 Nico Lodeiro, per sources.
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) December 29, 2023
Lodeiro, 34, won two MLS Cups and led Seattle to be first MLS team to win CCL. Legend for the Sounders. 60 caps with Uruguay. Was a free agent. https://t.co/BhuiqIec2V
Signing with Orlando makes a lot of sense from multiple angles. The biggest is that Orlando was among the first teams to express interest and were apparently talking to him almost as soon as the season ended.
Beyond simply being wanted, Lodeiro would seemingly be a good fit for Oscar Pareja's offense, which has struggled to find a consistent central playmaker. Mauricio Pereyra filled that spot most of last year, but was among the least productive No. 10s in the entire league. Presuming Lodeiro slots in as a starter, he'll be surrounded by a youthful attacking band of Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres and either Martin Ojeda or Ivan Angulo, all of whom are in their early- to mid-20s and have been productive in MLS.
In Orlando, Lodeiro will also have a chance to add to his impressive trophy collection. The Lions are coming off a season in which they finished second in the Supporters' Shield race and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. Notably, they also don't have the Sounders on the schedule in 2024.
