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Just as the Seattle Sounders moved to the top of the Allocation Ranking, word has come out of Sweden that Erik Friberg may be heading back to MLS. Although none of those stories draw a direct line to the Sounders, it doesn't take a particularly complicated brand of arithmetic to figure out that is a distinct possibility.
As you may remember, Friberg left the Sounders after the 2011 season on what was effectively a sweetheart transfer deal that sent him back to Sweden with Malmo. Friberg's girlfriend was pregnant and the then 25-year-old wanted to be there. Although Friberg only had a goal and two assists during his season with the Sounders, he had proven himself an effective and versatile player who can play in the middle or on either wing. He was also a very popular player in the locker room and among fans, gaining quite a bit of "fame" for his love of tacos.
Since leaving the Sounders, Friberg has done nothing to lessen his value. In fact, he's coming off a career-best season in which he scored six goals in 1,964 minutes and helped lead Malmo to the Allsvenskan title and into the Champions League's third round of qualifying. Malmo also advanced through the first two rounds of Europa League before falling to Swansea in the third qualifying round.
Despite these accomplishments, Friberg has always seemingly kept an eye on MLS and the Sounders. Friberg regularly interacts with Sounders fans on Twitter and was in town as recently as this offseason for the wedding of a member of the Sounders training staff.
While Friberg may not be the perfect fit for how the Sounders are currently constructing the team, he would be an interesting piece nonetheless. Friberg has the creativity to be effective on the left wing and has the vision and ball skills to provide a reasonable backup option for Clint Dempsey in the middle. He's also a potentially useful piece to add to a locker room that is very much in a state of transition.
I'll leave you with this:
