Transfer Tracker

Sporting Kansas City sign German center back Robert Voloder

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

Sporting Kansas City have signed German youth international center back Robert Voloder in a transfer from NK Maribor in the Slovenian first division, the club announced Wednesday.

The 20-year-old inked a three-year MLS contract through 2024 with a club option for 2025.

The left-footed defender has played every minute for Slovenian powerhouse NK Maribor since the 2021-22 PrvaLiga season began in July, guiding them atop the table through 20 matches.

He also started four qualifying matches in the inaugural 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League last summer.

Voloder began his professional career at German side FC Cologne, developing through the club’s academy, and captained the U-19s during the 2019-20 season. He joined Cologne's first team for the final three games of the 2019-20 German Bundesliga campaign.

Internationally, Voloder represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the U-17 through U-19 levels from 2017-19 before filing a one-time FIFA switch to Germany in September 2019. He debuted in a friendly against England and played his first of five matches for the German U-20s in the fall of 2020.

Voloder joins fellow European defender Logan Ndenbe and free-agent signings Kortne Ford and Ben Sweat on Sporting's reworked backline. The club also signed midfielder Uri Rosell as a free agent.