Seattle Sounders Acquire Dejan Joveljic From Sporting Kansas City In $6M Deal
The Seattle Sounders have moved to address a damaging run of poor form by acquiring Serbian international forward Dejan Joveljic from Sporting Kansas City for $6 million.
The deal was announced on Tuesday, with Joveljic signing a contract that will keep him at the club through the 2029-30 season, with an option for the 2030-31 campaign.
The 27-year-old has been designated a Designated Player by the Sounders, underlining just how central he is expected to be to their plans going forward.
Seattle have not won an MLS regular-season match since May 13, with a recent draw against FC Cincinnati ending what had been an eight-game losing streak in league play.
The Sounders were also eliminated at the group stage of the Leagues Cup, losing two of their three matches in the tournament they won the previous season, compounding their miserable summer.
Joveljic arrives with an impressive scoring record, having netted 107 goals across all competitions during 11 professional seasons in Europe and the United States, beginning his career with Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.
He scored 21 goals in 33 matches to help the Los Angeles Galaxy win the MLS Cup in 2024 before being traded to Sporting Kansas City for $4 million under the league’s then-new cash-for-trade mechanism.
That mechanism, which fans have branded a “cashfer,” was introduced in 2025, with Joveljic becoming the first player ever moved under it when he joined SKC from the Galaxy.
The $6 million fee Seattle have paid represents the third-highest amount any team has spent on a cashfer transaction since the mechanism’s introduction.
At Sporting Kansas City, Joveljic went on to score 26 times in 52 appearances, including a career-best 18 goals in 32 regular-season appearances last season, and has added eight goals and one assist in 20 appearances this season.
“I’m a guy who likes to first of all win and score,” Joveljic told the Sounders’ official site. “That’s my main job. I’m best in the box, I feel that I play my game in the box and around the box, so I’m able to score with left, right, head – it doesn’t matter.”
Sounders general manager and chief soccer officer Craig Waibel expressed his delight at securing a player he described as being in the prime of his career with a strong track record in big moments.
“We’re thrilled to add a player of Dejan’s caliber to our group,” Waibel said. “He is a proven goal scorer in the prime of his career with a track record of producing at a high level and delivering in big moments.”
Head coach Brian Schmetzer was equally enthusiastic, highlighting how the forward’s qualities around the penalty area will add a new dimension to Seattle’s attack.
“He’s dangerous in and around the box, can score in a variety of ways and gives us another dynamic presence in the final third,” Schmetzer said. “We’ve seen firsthand how difficult he is to defend, and I’m looking forward to having those qualities on our side.”
The Sounders’ injury problems have been severe, with forward Jordan Morris sustaining a quadriceps injury in July and Jesús Ferreira suffering a hamstring problem in August.
Attacking midfielder Pedro de la Vega, who had already missed most of the season recovering from a kneecap issue, also picked up a quad injury during August, further depleting the squad.
To accommodate Joveljic within roster rules, midfielder Albert Rusnák restructured his contract with the club, allowing the deal to go through without compliance issues.
Seattle currently sit at 7-9-4 in MLS this season and will be hoping Joveljic can provide the goals needed to drag them back into contention.
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