TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Vancouver Whitecaps FC have gone to their past to help embark on their new era under Marc Dos Santos, announcing on Friday they have signed forward Fredy Montero to a two-year deal.
MLSsoccer.com's Sam Stejskal reported earlier in the day that a deal was imminent, with Sporting Club canceling Montero's contract to pave the way for Vancouver to sign him on a free transfer. Dos Santos previously admitted publicly he liked Montero and his return was "possible," fueling speculation the attacker could be coming back.
"We’re happy to have Fredy back in Vancouver. He’s returning to a city and a club he knows very well, and to a league where he’s had incredible success,” said Dos Santos in a team statement. “He gives us a proven goalscorer and an important presence in our locker room. Whether Fredy will be a Designated Player or whether we will use Targeted Allocation Money on his contract will be determined prior to the MLS Roster Compliance Date on March 1. We’re looking forward to having him join the group as we start the next phase of our training camp in Los Angeles.”
This will be Montero's third stint in MLS and his second with Vancouver. He began his MLS career with the Seattle Sounders in 2009, spending four seasons there before playing for Millionarios in his native Colombia, Sporting Club in Portugal, and in China for Tianjin TEDA. In 2017, he returned to MLS on loan from Tianjin with the Whitecaps, where he scored 13 goals and six assists in 33 regular-season appearances. All told, in MLS he has 60 goals and 40 assists in 152 regular-season games.
Vancouver open the 2019 MLS regular season on March 2 at home against Minnesota United.
