Obed Vargas bet on himself and won. The 20-year-old Mexican international has completed a move to Spanish giants Atlético Madrid, it was announced on Monday just hours before the close of the transfer window.
Sources close to the move tell Sounder at Heart that the club will receive a fee of approximately $3 million, as well as retaining a 20% sell-on percentage. That’s certainly below what Vargas’ true market value is — most estimates put his worth at closer to $10 million and there have even been rumors of significantly more — but it is reflective of the control Vargas took over his own future.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Obed and a proud moment for Sounders FC. This move reflects his hard work and ambition, as well as the club’s coaching and development staff from the Academy up to the First Team,” said Sounders General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel in a team release. “From the time he joined the Academy in 2019, Obed has exhibited maturity, professionalism and commitment to his growth as a player. We’re excited to see him take this next step with Atlético Madrid.”
At least as long ago as 2024 when Vargas was in the process of changing representation, he made it clear to prospective agents that he was very focused on finding the right destination with his next move. That meant he wasn’t interested in moving to Liga MX, which he saw as more of a lateral move. But it wasn’t just that he wanted to go to “Europe”, it was that he had a specific caliber of club in mind. He wanted to go somewhere like … Atlético Madrid.
It’s just the latest — and most high-profile — in a series of decisions in which he took an unconventional path, first leaving his native Alaska at 13 to join the Sounders Academy; making his MLS debut at 15; switching from the United States to Mexico in 2024; and then opting to forgoe a U22 contract with the goal of expediting a move to a preferred club overseas.
“I want to say thank you to all my teammates, all the technical, medical and equipment staff and everyone that helped me throughout this journey, that made my time in Seattle amazing. You took in a 14-year-old boy and helped him grow,” said Vargas. “To all the fans – it was an incredible ride. From my debut in Austin to my debut at Lumen, to winning Champions League and playing in front of 70,000 people and winning Leagues Cup. I couldn’t have imagined it any other way and wouldn’t have wanted it with any other team.”
“I couldn’t be happier for Obed. He’s earned this opportunity through his work ethic, competitiveness and willingness to keep getting better every day,” said Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “We’ve seen him grow into a confident, impactful player who has excelled in every situation he’s faced. This is a great moment for Obed and his family, and I have no doubt that he is ready to take on this challenge with Atlético Madrid.”
Unlike most soccer-obsessed youngsters, Vargas wasn’t attracted to clubs like Arsenal, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. No, he fell in love with the hard-working, perennially third-best club in Spain, Atlético Madrid. The midfielder was particularly enamored with the way the team operated under manager Diego Simeone, how they constantly overachieved and always seemed to play with a chip on their shoulder.
Vargas’ affinity for Atlético was something Sounders Director of Development Wade Webber noted almost immediately.
“Back in the day, I asked him, I asked all players like, so ‘What team do you follow if it's not the Sounders?’ And he said, Atletico Madrid,” Webber recalled during an episode of Lobbing Scorchers back in May. “And I’m thinking, can you imagine Obed Vargas in a Simeone midfield? He’s tailor made for them.”
Last summer, Atlético got a chance to see Vargas up close when they played the Sounders in the Club World Cup. Vargas had talked openly about hoping the Sounders would draw Atlético.
“That would be my moment to try to prove myself, in front of El Cholo, against his team I’d be as motivated as I could possibly me,” Vargas said in the documentary “Eyes on the Rise.” “Hopefully, I do well and maybe they like me.”
Vargas didn’t necessarily have his best game, but he held his own against one of the best midfields in Europe and played well enough that Atlético star Antoinne Griezmann paid him a postgame visit in order to exchange jerseys.
“I think I learned what it’s like to play against one of the biggest teams in the world,” Vargas said after the game. “What I can take away from these guys that they don't stop and they're super intense.”
That Vargas will now be calling those players teammates has to be surreal. There had apparently been some discussion of the 20-year-old first going on loan, but in the end Atlético has chosen to keep Vargas with the first team.
In the meantime, Vargas will also be fighting for a spot in Mexico's World Cup team. Vargas still only has three senior national team caps, but seems to be winning over El Trí's coaching staff.
The decision to switch allegiances from the United States – with whom he was the second youngest player on the 2023 U20 World Cup squad at 17 years old – to Mexico was another example of Vargas betting on himself. Rather than continue with the USA, Vargas followed his heart to Mexico while also potentially shortening his path to the World Cup. It now seems to be a bet that is paying off.
Vargas' move directly from MLS to Atlético Madrid must immediately be considered among the highest-profile in league history, perhaps only eclipsed by Alphonso Davies going to Bayern Munich. While other players have been signed by comparably big European teams, they’ve almost always been sent on loan before joining the first team (if they ever did at all). It's a dream move that could have that could have huge ramifications for how the Sounders and MLS are seen abroad.
While probably not the exact way they would have preferred the move to go, the Sounders still come out of this likely feeling good. They get a fee large enough for them to max out what they can convert into General Allocation Money, have some big upside on the back end in terms of the sell-on fee and have shown that they can put a player they developed from 13 into one of the biggest clubs in the world.
