San Diego FC trades picks, hints at signing a Designated Player

MLS expansion club San Diego FC has traded two draft picks as it looks for a “starting center back” and a possible Designated Player signing this winter ahead of his debut in 2025.

“We’re really excited because we’re using this money to fund a starting center back who will be a part of that backbone of our team,” head coach Mikey Varas said of swapping picks Hosei Kijima and Thiago Andrade during Wednesday’s expansion draft .

In exchange for the transfer of Kijima from St. Louis City SC to DC United and Andrade from New York City FC to Toronto FC, San Diego will receive $400,000 in general allocation funds, up to $250,000 in conditional GAM (outstanding benefits ) and a first round pick in the MLS SuperDraft.

During the draft, athletic director Tyler Heaps indicated that DP’s next signing would be this winter.

“We are definitely working on it, it will come. I think we’re very close,” Heaps said. “But you know how this industry works. It’s about negotiating, getting the right price and finding the right player.”

At the start of 2024, reports linked Spanish defender Sergio Ramos with a possible move to San Diego.

Give Me Sports also reported that San Diego has acquired Colombian international defender Andrés Reyes from the New York Red Bulls.

Elsewhere in the draft, the MLS 30th team selected Orlando City’s Heine Gikling Bruseth, Charlotte FC’s Hamady Diop and Colorado Rapids’ Jasper Pfundsend.

Led by Mexico international Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, San Diego will continue to expand its squad, which previously included Marcus Ingvartsen, Jeppe Tverskov, Paddy McNair, Duran Ferree, Alex Mighten, Tomás Ángel, Christopher McVey and CJ dos Santos.

San Diego will make its 2025 debut in an away game against current MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy on the opening weekend of the season on February 22nd and 23rd. They host St. Louis City SC in their home opener on March 1 at Snapdragon Stadium.

Last month, the club announced that Spanish World Cup winner Juan Mata had become an owner, becoming the first active international player to own shares in an MLS team.

In addition to Mata, San Diego’s owners include Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation – the first Native American tribe to be part of a professional football team ownership group in the United States – and San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado , among other things.

The team will unveil its first-ever jerseys on Friday.