TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Sporting Kansas City have acquired Montenegro national team striker Nikola Vujnovic on loan from Serbian side FK Vozdovac with a purchase option after the 2022 MLS season, the club announced Tuesday.
The 25-year-old’s addition comes after Alan Pulido, Sporting’s club-record signing, underwent knee surgery and will likely miss the upcoming campaign. The Mexican international remains on a Designated Player spot, leaving Peter Vermes’ group somewhat limited when searching for a replacement.
Vujnovic joins Sporting on the heels of a career season at Vozdovac, where he tallied 10 goals and an assist during the 2021-22 campaign in Serbia's top division. He was previously at Villareal for several years, though didn’t feature for the Spanish La Liga side’s first team. In between, he shined during the 2019-20 campaign with FK Podgorica in the top-flight Montenegrin First League.
On the international stage, Vujnovic has earned five caps with Montenegro. His one goal came last November in a World Cup Qualifier against the Netherlands, netting an 86th-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw.
This is Sporting’s seventh newcomer ahead of the 2022 campaign, following fellow European signings in left back Logan Ndenbe, center back Robert Voloder and winger Marinos Tzionis. They’ve respectively been in the national team programs for Belgium, Germany and Cyprus.
