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St. Louis CITY SC have signed midfielder Alfredo Morales to a one year contract with a club option in 2026 at an undisclosed rate. Morales will act as the roster replacement for Indiana Vassilev, who was traded to Philadelphia Union on Thursday for $1,000,000+ in GAM.
Morales is already with CITY, as he featured as a trialist during the Coachella Valley Invitational preseason matches, notably delivering a quality assist to Simon Becher against New York City FC in a 3-1 victory. Because of this, no club or system integration will be required, and he will be ready for match day 1 on Saturday, February 22nd, where CITY will open their MLS campaign at Energizer Park against Colorado Rapids.
The 34 year old MLS veteran joins with quite the resume, with 16 caps for the U.S. Men's National Team, 10 years in Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, and over 3 years with New York City FC and San Jose Earthquakes. During his European years, he crossed paths with St. Louis Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel, who was the manager for Fortuna Düsseldorf at the time, where he accumulated 64 appearances across 2018 to 2021.
Morales is a good option to add to the locker room as a depth piece. He knows what it takes to win in this league and others, and can act as a good leader off the pitch. At 34 years old, he has fallen far out of his previous prestige, valued at merely €200k, but certainly looked like a viable bench option as a trialist in Coachella.
It’s not a 1 for 1 trade for Indiana Vassilev, but it’s a cheap contract that CITY aren’t tied down to and could buy out or trade for a younger player that might be more long-term. Having a club option also gives CITY more options to profit off Morales, assuming he will not be in the long term plans.
Overall, it’s a good move for St. Louis to fill that roster slot and keep solid depth options available ahead of the 2025 opener tomorrow evening. A band-aid on a bullet hole for fans, but business doesn’t stop for the saddened. A great piece of managing by Lutz Pfannenstiel and the front office.