The Seattle Sounders have completed the signing of Swiss national team striker Blaise Nkufo, the club announced on its team website on Thursday.
Nkufo is currently the captain of Dutch champions FC Twente and will join the Sounders after this summer's World Cup. The deal had been in the works for six months as the Sounders and Nkufo's agent, Oliver Wyss of W3 Sports Management finalized the deal this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and it remains unclear whether he is coming as a Designated Player or not.
An accomplished goal scorer, Nkufo should help form a deadly strike force alongside Freddy Montero, assuming the Sounders don't lose Montero in the European transfer market this summer, which is a real possibility. A 6-foot-2 target striker, Nkufo will come to MLS at the age of 35, but his steady play in the Dutch League would suggest that he should still make a major impact once he joins the Sounders.
“He’s a proven goal-scorer who has had a good run with the Swiss National Team in their qualifying for the World Cup,” Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid told SoundersFC.com. “He’s had a tremendous run at Twente and is a player that knows how to find space in the box at appropriate moments.”
What do you think of this signing? Impressed that the Sounders were able to land a player of Nkufo's quality? Think Seattle could win a title in year two?
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