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It would appear that the Seattle Sounders may have at least one more offseason move up their sleeves, as they are reportedly pursuing Herediano midfielder Jose Miguel Cubero. The Costa Rican international appears to play primarily as a center mid and could provide some much-needed depth behind Clint Dempsey, who is effectively guaranteed to miss at least five matches due to international call-ups.
De primera mano: el equipo que quiere a José Miguel Cubero de #Herediano es el Seatle Sounders de la #MLS
— Steven Oviedo (@StevenO23) February 25, 2014
Signing Cubero, who inked a three-year extension with Herediano last April, would almost certainly require a transfer fee. While the Sounders should have room under the salary cap, it almost surely removes the possibility of signing current trialist Gonzalo Pineda.
While I can't pretend to have much first-hand knowledge of Cubero, on paper he seems to be a significant upgrade to the roster. The 27-year-old is a fixture with the Costa Rica national team, having played in nine of their 10 World Cup qualifiers and already has 32 caps. At the club level, he's one of Herediano's top players, having made 120 first-team appearances over the past four years. He's also scored 14 first-team goals in that time.