After several months of offers and negotiations, FC Dallas has announced the permanent transfer of Argentine midfielder Alan Velasco to Club Atlético Boca Juniors.
Velasco’s transfer is the second-largest in FC Dallas history, reportedly a $10 million figure.
Velasco made his 2024 regular-season debut on Aug. 31 against the Colorado Rapids after spending most of the 2024 season recovering from a knee injury sustained in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs first-round match against Seattle Sounders FC. In the final stretch of the 2024 season, Velasco scored twice and appeared in eight matches, totaling 372 minutes.
In 2023, Velasco topped Major League Soccer’s 22 Under 22 list. He featured in 28 MLS regular-season matches, scoring four goals and adding four assists. The midfielder received his first national-team call-up with Argentina, scoring in a friendly with the U23 squad against Bolivia’s U23 national team on Sept. 4, 2023. Velasco became the first player in FC Dallas history to earn a call-up to a reigning World Cup champion.
Velasco set a career-high in MLS in 2022, scoring six goals and recording seven assists (tied for the team lead) in 26 appearances. He made his FC Dallas debut against Nashville SC on March 12, 2022, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute and scoring in the 87th minute.
FC Dallas acquired Velasco for a then-club-record fee from Argentine side Club Atlético Independiente in February 2022.
BDS Take
Like the Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola deals, we've weirdly had a lot of time to think through this transfer. Ferreira was a deal that FCD kind of had to take, Arriola was a salary dump, and Velasco is taking the cash because Boca Juniors is dumb enough to offer this amount.
If FC Dallas is indeed getting $10 million for Velasco, you take that money and run even if it means ripping up your roster build for a new head coach like Eric Quill.
The big thing to keep in mind right now is that FC Dallas is on the clock to find a replacement, fast. If it is Lucho Acosta (he reported to FC Cincinnati camp, so he’s likely not coming here), Evander or someone else, that deal needs to come sooner rather than later.
As in, before February is all possible.
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