Seattle Sounders have announced the acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Thomás.
The 22 year-old has arrived from Flamengo for an undisclosed fee, with his contract and other personal terms of the transfer also protected due to Major League Soccer policies.
Thomás spent last season on loan at Ponte Preta, who he helped gain promotion to the Brasileirão. With them, he featured 13 times, scoring once.
The Juiz de Fora native, who can play wide on both sides, but is predominantly an attacking midfielder, was loaned to Italian outfit Siena the season before and managed 12 appearances, though failed to net.
He arrives at Seattle after featuring just 21 times for Flamengo since debuting in 2011, but Sounders General Manager Garth Lagerwey is enthused by his arrival.
“We are excited to welcome Thomás to Seattle,” he said in a statement, as reported by website mlssoccer. “He is a dynamic attacking player that has a diverse array of experience despite being only 22 years old, and we look forward to his contributions to our club.”
Thomás is expected to take the number 18 shirt and, if he plays, will be the first Brazilian to represent Seattle Sounders.
The franchise’s Sporting Director, Chris Henderson, is confident that he can make an impact and also noted that he had been scouted for some time.
“Thomás is a player we’ve been tracking for the past three years, and it’s rewarding to finally be able to welcome him to Sounders FC,” he said. His technical and attacking abilities are impressive, and he’ll mesh well with our current roster as we move into the second half of the 2015 season.”
