Victor Mansaray returning to Sounders

Update: Buried in the announcement about the S2 signings to Open Cup contracts the club said;

Additionally, Sounders FC forward Vic Mansaray is returning to the Emerald City following his loan stint with USL side FC Cincinnati. The third-year Homegrown Player is expected back in training with the Rave Green in the coming days.

After a half season with FC Cincinnati, Sierra Leone forward Victor Mansaray is returning to the Seattle Sounders, according to Football Sierra Leone. Mansaray recently switched away from the United States to his birth nation for international competitions and upon leaving camp shared this:

“Seattle wanted me back, I was playing at Seattle before my loan move and after my first international call-up Seattle decided they want me back.” - Mansaray to Football Sierra Leone

With FC Cincinnati Vic played 328 minutes and made four all-competitions starts. He never scored a goal. He was a sub five times in league play with three starts in the league and one in the Open Cup. That means he would not be eligible to play for the short-handed Sounders when they travel to San Jose for the Open Cup.

Mansaray will face stiff competition on the backend of the First Team roster and with S2. Seyi Adekoya is also a Homegrown Player and David Olsen was a USL signing with Academy experience. Felix Chenkam and Javorn Stevens are both direct USL signings. Both have played well when healthy, but Stevens has been limited to just 171 minutes due to injury.

Adekoya has one USL goal in 204 USL minutes. He has also made the MLS bench 11 times, earning a start and sub appearance with the First Team with 77 minutes played. Olsen netted three goals with an assist in 1,089 USL minutes, but is more a withdrawn forward or winger now. Chenkam scored three goals in his 420 minutes.

Of the now five forwards vying to make the jump to regular contributions on the First Team, Mansaray is one of the target types, as is Chenkam. At just 20 and in his third professional year, there is still promise in the Fife, Wash. product. He already has 7 professional goals in all competitions in his 2,888 career minutes.

There is no official word on the move, let alone if Mansaray will be on loan to S2 or expected to contribute to a Sounders First Team that only has three regular forwards.