TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Re-signed
Seattle Sounders FC have re-signed veteran forward Fredy Montero, the club announced Wednesday.
Montero returns to Seattle on a one-year contract for the 2023 season, coming off a 2022 campaign that saw the 35-year-old net eight goals across all competitions, including three crucial tallies in Seattle's historic run to the 2022 Concacaf Champions League title.
“Fredy continues to prove he is a valuable player for our team, both on and off the field,” Sounders general manager and CSO Craig Waibel said in a release. “On top of being a fan favorite, Fredy is a reliable goal-scorer, as demonstrated in his decorated career around the world. We welcome his skill, experience and veteran leadership in 2023.”
Montero is a club legend for Seattle, with his 76 all-competition goals making him the Rave Green's all-time leading scorer. He originally joined the Sounders ahead of their MLS expansion season in 2009, becoming the face of the club's successful early days in MLS.
He then departed the club for eight years, doing stints in his native Colombia, Portugal, China and with Vancouver Whitecaps FC before returning to Seattle in 2021. It's been a productive homecoming, as Montero has featured regularly as both a starter and super-sub over the past two years, contributing 11 goals and eight assists in MLS play.
Montero figures to provide veteran depth once again in a Seattle forward group highlighted by Peruvian standout Raúl Ruidíaz. Seattle are looking to make a return to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2023 after missing out on postseason play for the first time in the club's MLS history despite the historic CCL title.
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