Sam Adeniran traded to St. Louis City for GAM

Sam Adeniran has been traded to St. Louis City SC in exchange for $100,000 in General Allocation Money, the Seattle Sounders announced on Thursday. The Sounders can potentially get an additional $100,000 in 2024 if certain performance metrics are satisfied and the Sounders also retain a percentage of any future transfer through 2025.

Adeniran first joined the Sounders organization in 2021 when he signed with Tacoma Defiance and scored 13 goals and added two assists while improving his defensive abilities. He made his MLS debut later that year, earning an emergency call-up and starting against Austin FC.

The Sounders signed Adeniran to a full first-team contract the following offseason, but he only made two MLS appearances before getting loaned to San Antonio FC for most of the 2022 season. He responded with 10 goals and an assist in less than 1,600 minutes, prompting the Sounders to exercise his option.

From the outside, it seemed like the 24-year-old was in decent position to fight for playing time ahead of 2023. This trade suggests the Sounders weren’t quite as bullish on that prospect as that’s not the kind of money teams accept if they think a player has a significant role to play.

Still, $100,000 in GAM does help — even marginally — the Sounders’ roster math and perhaps suggests they believed that Adeniran was behind the likes of Léo Chú, Dylan Teves and Ethan Dobbelaere (they seemed to view him as more of a winger than a forward). It may also portend that they are close to making an offensive signing higher up the roster.

CURRENT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (4): Jacob Castro, Stefan Cleveland, Stefan Frei, Andrew Thomas

DEFENDERS (6): Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Xavier Arreaga, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Nouhou, Jackson Ragen, Alex Roldan

MIDFIELDERS (13): Josh Atencio, Reed Baker-Whiting, Léo Chú, Ethan Dobbelaere, João Paulo, Sota Kitahara, Danny Leyva, Nicolás Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan, Kelyn Rowe, Albert Rusnák, Dylan Teves, Obed Vargas

FORWARDS (3): Fredy Montero, Jordan Morris, Raúl Ruidíaz