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Although all indications are that Raúl Ruidíaz will be back with the Seattle Sounders in 2022, it does appear as if there’s real interest in bringing him back to Liga MX, according to Telemundo’s Diego Montalvan.
The interest for Raúl Ruidíaz from Cruz Azul is real!!
— Diego Montalvan (@DMontalvan) November 9, 2021
But the #Sounders will be taking up the option of keeping him for the next year.
Checked with both sides and it’s all true but one thing we have to see is Raúl, he seems happy with the MLS side. We wait on an offer. pic.twitter.com/1xiNyS4JiW
Sounder at Heart’s Niko Moreno had previously reported on Cruz Azul’s interest when breaking news that the Sounders had already exercised their 2022 option on Ruidíaz. Around the same time, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer confirmed that the team is trying to work on a new deal beyond the option.
“He’s going to get rewarded after the end of this year with a new contract, and that’ll be great,” Schmetzer told KJR. “The team is hopefully going to keep him around for another few years.”
Ruidíaz played two years in Liga MX, where he scored 38 goals in 65 games for Monarcas Morelia, before moving to the Sounders during the summer of 2018. Since joining the Sounders, he’s been among the league’s most efficient scorers, bagging 50 goals in 70 regular season appearances (.70 goals per 90 minutes). He has nine more goals in the MLS Cup playoffs and two in Leagues Cup play.
This year he tied the franchise record for regular-season goals (17) and has already tied the single-season record for all-competition goals (19).