Alex Freeman’s busy 2025 for club and country looks to have reportedly put him on the verge of a European move.
La Liga club Villarreal has agreed to a deal to acquire Freeman from MLS club Orlando City, The Athletic and ESPN reported Monday. The Athletic added that the Lions will receive close a $4 million transfer fee from Villarreal, in addition to $3 million in add-on fees and a sell-on percentage.
Freeman’s current Orlando City contract was set to expire at the end of the 2026 MLS season, which would’ve allowed him to leave as a free agent next winter.
The 21-year-old made his first team debut in 2023 and has since become a regular contributor for the club over the past year. Freeman made 30 league appearances during the 2025 campaign, scoring six goals and adding three assists.
Freeman also made his USMNT debut last January and proceeded to earn 13 caps in 2025. He scored twice in the USMNT’s 5-1 friendly win over Uruguay last November, which marked his first two senior international goals.
Villarreal sits fourth in the La Liga standings with 41 points earned through 20 matches. They will close their UEFA Champions League schedule on Wednesday against Bayer Leverkusen after already being eliminated from knockout round contention.
Good job Freeman, get that La Liga dinero and minutes!
Espanyol and Celta Vigo chasing Diego Luna. RSL wants to keep him to at least the summer.
And there you go.
I figured somebody would notice Luna at some point. He’s far too good to not be in a Top-5 league and honestly it’s kind of exciting what he might be capable of if he dials up his pace-of-play and just…progresses. His game is the opposite of speed-based; it’s all about vision and creativity and precision, and that improves with both experience and level. La Liga (or Serie A) were always the fits for Luna, but if memory serves he does speak Spanish so the transition for him to La Liga would likely be easier.
He can play multiple positions in defense, so I could see him being utilized. Especially them shipping in some goals lately. I Hope he gets meaningful minutes.