Tony Alfaro heading to Chivas?

A few years ago, there was genuine hope that Tony Alfaro could establish himself as a legitimate MLS-caliber centerback. But after making 15 appearances in 2017, Alfaro regressed considerably in 2018. By the end of the season, he was struggling to keep up with USL attackers with S2 and made his last First Team appearance on June 13. It was hardly a surprise that the Sounders chose not to renew his contract for 2019.

Now, it looks like he could end up with Chivas de Guadalajara. After several reports in Mexican media linking him to the Mexican giants, Ives Galarcep is now reporting the 25-year-old is “set to sign a contract” soon.

Chivas has apparently been following Alfaro since he made a pair of starts against Santa Tecla in the CONCACAF Champions League in February. At the time, though, the Sounders were unwilling to let Alfaro leave without some sort of transfer fee, according to Galarcep. Back in June, Sounder at Heart’s Niko Moreno reported that Chivas were still considering Alfaro, but that his signing was not considered much of a priority.

Chivas’ willingness to pay a fee has almost surely not risen in the ensuing months — so it’s not as if the Sounders stood to gain by re-signing him — but bringing the Mexico native in on a free transfer isn’t the most unreasonable gamble for the Mexican side. Alfaro did show some good technical skill at times and he’s got a smooth left foot, but his defending was at times woeful.