TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Orlando City SC’s transformative offseason maintained its rapid pace Tuesday, as the reigning US Open Cup champions announced they’ve signed midfielder Dagur Dan Thórhallsson from Icelandic top-flight side Breidablik.
The 22-year-old, who’s played four times for Iceland’s senior squad, arrives with 18 goals and 11 assists in 118 professional appearances. He helped Breidablik win a Besta deild karla (Iceland first division) title last year, plus has played in Norway and Belgium.
"Dagur Dan is a versatile player that can play both in the midfield for us, out on the wings or even at right back if we need and he’s been involved with Iceland’s national team program since his days with the U16s,” Luiz Muzzi, Orlando's EVP of soccer operations and general manager, said in a release.
"He has a great engine and fits the profile of a box-to-box player that can give us strength in both our attack and defense."
Thórhallsson should offer crucial depth to Orlando’s central midfield group, which already contains Peruvian international Wilder Cartagena and Uruguay youth international Cesar Araujo. In free agency, the Lions also signed MLS veteran Felipe Martins this winter after Junior Urso returned to his native Brazil and Andres Perea was traded to fellow Eastern Conference side Philadelphia Union.
In addition to Thórhallsson, some of Orlando’s key reinforcements this winter are: DP winger Martín Ojeda (from Argentina’s Godoy Cruz), U22 Initiative winger Ramiro Enrique (from Argentina’s Banfield) and left back Rafael Santos (from Brazil’s Cruzeiro). They also brought back star goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and captain Mauricio Pereyra on new deals.
The Lions, one of MLS’s five clubs competing in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League, will have a jam-packed schedule when also layering in Leagues Cup and the US Open Cup. That’s all on top of a 34-game league slate, which they’ll start on Feb. 25 when hosting the New York Red Bulls (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
