The Seattle Sounders have not made an official announcement, but forward Freddie Montero has tweeted his farewell to the club, which is expected to loan him to Colombia’s Millonarios FC for six months with the expectation that the deal will become permanent. Montero, who joined the Sounders in 2009, the club’s first season, is Seattle’s all-time leading scorer.
“I want to thank god for these 4 unforgettable years in seattle, to the sounders staff, coaches, players and especially the FANS for everything you gave me,” Montero said in his tweet. “Thanks (general manager Adrian Hanauer) for your unconditional support. Seattle you will always be in my heart and be my second home. I will be back one day! Until then I wish you all the best. God bless. FREDY MONTERO #17”
In a statement Thursday, Sounders owner/GM Adrian Hanauer said the franchise hopes to have the transaction completed in the next few days, which is why no official acknowledgement of the deal has been made public.
Montero has been with Seattle since its first game as an expansion franchise, when he scored two goals in a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls. He’s the club’s all-time leading scorer with 60 goals and 43 assists in 160 games played. But Montero has not played well in the MLS playoffs. He has participated in 10 postseason contests without scoring a goal.
If Seattle loans Montero to the Colombian club, that would leave two designated players on Seattle’s roster, midfielders Mauro Rosales and Christian Tiffert.
Sportspress Northwest first reported on a move of Montero to Millonarios Jan. 4. In a SPNW poll, more than 40 percent of respondents said that a move of Montero to the Colombia club would be a net benefit for the Sounders. More than 30 percent said they were unsure that a Montero move would be a good one, depending on his replacement.
