Sounders briefly inquired about Juan Dinenno transfer, report claims

One of the players the Seattle Sounders apparently inquired about adding this offseason was Juan Dinenno, a player they saw up close and personal during the Concacaf Champions League final. But after an initial inquiry, the pursuit doesn’t appear to have advanced, according to Mexican outlet AM. A source familiar with the situation suggested the approach wasn’t even that formal, as the Sounders knew Dinenno would have required a Designated Player spot and their roster can’t currently accommodate such a move.

Still, the Sounders were clearly impressed by Dinenno and he may be someone they continue to keep an eye on. The Argentine is still just 28 and was downright dominant during Pumas’ CCL run, winning the Golden Boot with nine goals in eight games. He scored both of Pumas’ goals in the final against the Sounders, including a thundering header that gave them a 2-0 lead in the first leg.

Dinenno followed that up with a six-goal performance during the 17-game Apertura, ninth most in Liga MX. He now has 32 goals in 84 career Liga MX appearances.

Dinenno joined Pumas from Colombia’s Deportivo Cali on a roughly $4M transfer in 2020 and recently signed an extension that has him under Pumas’ control through at least 2024. There were reports out of Mexico this spring that Pumas were looking for $8-$10M to transfer him. Suffice it to say, that’s far more than the Sounders were looking to spend and they ultimately settled on picking up Héber from New York City for about $400,000 in General Allocation Money.