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Within days of opening preseason camp Minnesota United FC made two signings in the much lacking forward department.
On Tuesday the club announced they had acquired free agent Juan Agudelo on a one year contract. Then on Thursday morning MNUFC made the announcement people have been waiting for. Minnesota had officially signed 17 year old Patrick Weah to a four year contract as a Homegrown Player. Both signings have a club option for one additional year, bringing Agudelo’s to a possible 2 years and Weah’s to a possible 5 years.
Both players are or have entered MLS rosters very early on. The 28 year old Agudelo has already played 12 seasons in Major League Soccer, making his first appearance back in 2010 for New York Red Bulls. He followed up three seasons at NYRB with just over one season at the now defunct Chivas USA club before being traded to New England Revolution in May 2013. After the 2013 campaign he signed with Stoke City and was immediately loaned out to FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie.
After returning from Europe he would once again join New England from 2015-2019 before heading down to Miami and playing for Inter Miami CF in the pandemic shortened 2020 season. Agudelo probably isn’t the striker MNUFC need but could be a serviceable option until other ones arise. Over his career he is averaging .202 Goals Per Game (across all competitions and teams), 297 minutes per goal, and 1.56 shots per game. While none of these stats are great MNUFC does have a history of their primary goal scorers not being their forwards.
The other player signed was 17 year old and Minnesota native Patrick Weah. Weah came out of the former MNUFC Academy and Wayzata High School. In Wayzata he would be part of teams that we’re Class 2A runners-up in 2016 and Class 2A State Champions in 2017. During the 2016 tournament he had two assists on the Trojans 7 goals in the first two round before they were shut out by the Stillwater Ponies. In 2017 he and the Trojans returned to the State Tournament going on a tear. The Trojans would outscore their opponents 12-3 across the 2017 edition with Weah garnering 3 goals and 2 assists on the teams way to beating Stillwater for the title.