The Seattle Sounders forward crop just got even stronger.
After a long-rumored negotiation, the Sounders signed Paraguayan international Nelson Valdez to a Designated Player contract on Friday.
Valdez joins Seattle's roster as its newest Designated Player, as Targeted Allocation Money was used to lower the salary budget charge of midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, thereby freeing one of the club's three Designated Player positions. Valdez joins fellow Designated Players Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins on Seattle's frontline, with the Paraguayan rejoining Martins following their time together at Russian side Rubin Kazan.
"It's exciting to add a player of Nelson's pedigree. His addition allows us to vary our attack and makes us even more potent upfront," Sounders FC general manager and president of soccer, Garth Lagerwey, said in a release. "It can't be overstated how important a player with this type of experience can be for our team. Nelson has played in some of the world's top competitions, including two FIFA World Cups and two Copa America tournaments, and he's a welcome addition to our roster."
Valdez joins the Rave Green following 15 seasons in the European topflight, including over 200 appearances in the German Bundesliga, where he scored 37 goals for Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund and most recently Eintracht Frankfurt.
A prolific striker renowned for his clinical finishing ability, Valdez has 68 career caps and 12 goals for the Paraguayan National Team, where he appeared in both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2011 and 2015 Copa Amèrica tournaments. Valdez started all three of his appearances in the 2006 World Cup Group Stage in Germany, then appeared five times in the 2010 tournament in South Africa, including a 1-0 quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Spain. He has two goals in 11 career Copa America appearances, leading Paraguay to a runner-up finish in 2011 and a fourth-place result in 2015.
"Nelson is very good at creating and scoring goals. His technical ability and smart movement can change games," said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. "He has been influential with top club teams around the world and has represented his country in the biggest tournaments. We have followed Nelson very closely the last few years and are thrilled to add him."
