Kekuta Manneh has finalized a move to Liga MX.
The winger has signed with Mexican side Pachuca, the club announced on Tuesday evening. The move sees Manneh depart MLS after originally being selected in the 2013 MLS Draft.
¡Welcome @kekuta16!
El delantero Kekuta Manneh es nuestro refuerzo de cara al Clausura 2018 proveniente de la MLS.#TeJuroQueTeAmo pic.twitter.com/ObVwGvo96K
— Club Pachuca (@Tuzos) December 26, 2017
Manneh scored 26 goals and provided 15 assists in 127 matches over five MLS seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Columbus Crew. The speedy winger made his name throughout four seasons with the former before being traded to the Crew in March in exchange for Tony Tchani. After seeing his contract expire, Manneh trained with German side Union Berlin following the Crew’s playoff exit.
The 22-year-old Gambian-born winger received his American citizenship in 2017 and participated in the U.S. Men’s National Team’s January camp to start the year.
I just wanna thank everyone at MLS, Vancouver and Columbus for my time in the League and everyone who directly or indirectly helped me along the way! Everything has to an end and this is that moment for me! #ThankYou #MLS#Whitecaps#Crew
— Kekuta Manneh (@kekuta16) December 26, 2017
At Pachuca, Manneh joins USMNT defender Omar Gonzalez at a club that recently fell just short in the Copa MX finale.
If he can stay healthy he could do well in Mexico. No idea how a guy with some of the natural ability he has ended up bench warming for the Crew. I’m sure he’s happy to be out of MLS.
Why? Did anyone force him top be in MLS to begin with?
I would imagine that if he were to be offered a decent new contract, he would have been quite ok to stay in MLS. Don’t think there are many American players who would prefer Liga MX over MLS for the same salary
He was on the bench mostly because there were better players ahead of him.
I think a big reason why he needed to stay in MLS was to gain citizenship. There are many better leagues out there than MLS for a young player and Liga MX is one of them. Jonathan Gonzalez would probably be on loan with the Rowdies if an MLS team had him.
As a Rowdies season ticket holder we’d happily take him!
Worse they wouldn’t even loan him out to the USL he’d just sit on the bench behind some 28 year old Latvian that said MLS team got a deal on.
Good. He was about to slip into that pattern that happens to many young promising American players in MLS: a good first year or two, then stagnation. At least he is challenging himself and lord knows we need more true wingers. Congrats man!