Sounders Finalize Club Options, Leyva Possibly on the Move
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Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer (left) and general manager Craig Waibel (right) addresses the media during an end-of-season presser on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Sounders FC Communications) [/caption]
The first thing Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer thought to himself after his team played arguably the busiest season of any franchise in the Emerald City?
"Was it a success?"
That question has floated around for weeks since the devastating Game 3 loss to Minnesota that knocked the Rave Green out of MLS Cup contention over a month ago. Like the majority of supporters, Schmetzer is torn.
He came out and flatly told fans that the Game 3 loss, in which his team led 2-0 at one point and played a man up for the entire second half, was the most devastating of his career.
"I thought everything was a success up until that final moment because this club always tries to get deeper into the playoffs," Schmetzer said. "It felt a little odd to be sitting on the couch (after losing)."
He and general manager Craig Waibel addressed the media on last Tuesday afternoon to recap the season and elaborate on a flurry of roster moves — including the decision to part with winger Ryan Kent and how the team plans to tackle the rest of the offseason.
For Waibel, who was candid in saying that the organization was considering a real roster overhaul with how mediocre the team looked early in the year, it was a season to remember.
"Hands down the most enjoyable year of my career as a general manager," Waibel said.
To that effect, it was a pleasant watch for fans. the Sounders scored their highest goal total in club history, competed against the best clubs in the world at the Club World Cup, and won the only North American trophy they were yet to claim in the Leagues Cup.
Where does Seattle stand in adding to that collection in 2026?
Club Options Largely Sorted
The Sounders currently have 22 players rostered for the 2026 campaign — eight short of the league limit.
Seattle has settled its impending 13 club options, and this is how things shook out:
Exercised for 2026 (8):
- Yeimar, D
- Nouhou, D
- Kim Kee-Hee, D
- Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, D
- Obed Vargas, M
- Paul Arriola, M
- Danny Musovski, F
- Osaze De Rosario, F
Declined (4):
- Ryan Kent, M
- Leo Burney, D
- Jacob Castro, GK
- Travian Sousa, D
Out of Contract/Free Agents (4):
- Paul Rothrock, F
- Stefan Frei, GK
- João Paulo, M
- Jonathan Bell, D
An Unexpected Buyout Looms
22-year-old defending midfielder Danny Leyva has carved out a role backing up Seattle’s star-studded pivots of Cristian Roldan and Obed Vargas. His solid performance as a place-setter and defender may be what’s fueling a rumor that Leyva will be bought out by Liga MX side Club Necaxa (per Cesar Luis Merlo).
🚨Danny Leyva, mediocampista de Seattle, es nuevo refuerzo de Necaxa.
*️⃣Lo compran y firma por 3 años con opción a un cuarto.
👀Querés asegurar tus jugadas con la misma precisión que mis noticias? Regístrate en Pin-Up y aprovecha los beneficios. ⬇️https://t.co/FapD9xYUWY pic.twitter.com/MmTb7YzGTo— César Luis Merlo (@CLMerlo) December 2, 2025
Those rumors have been affirmed in their feasibility by Sounder at Heart’s Jeremiah Oshan, who specified that the proposed move would free up around $350,000 in cap space for Seattle as it prepares for the transfer window. The transfer fee for Seattle hasn’t been specified yet as this storyline emerges.
Waibel had this to say a week before the rumor started circulating on Tuesday afternoon:
“Flexibility will be created if we move players, but otherwise there’s not a ton of flexibility (on the roster).”
Flex away.
The Squad
Here's what the Sounders roster looks like in early December, based on where each player spent most of their time on the pitch in the typical 4-2-3-1 alignment:
Keeper
- Andrew Thomas
With Frei still mulling over whether to return, Thomas poses a real challenge.
With a Leagues Cup performance for the ages under his belt, Thomas will enter his third season with the first team looking to become the guy.
Wing Backs
- Nouhou
- Alex Roldan
- Reed Baker-Whiting
- Kalani Kossa-Rienzi
- Stuart Hawkins
The wing backs have been reliable for Schmetzer and co., with U.S. U20 man Reed Baker-Whiting kicking it into a new gear to earn an extension with Seattle.
Picking up Nouhou's team option was a no-brainer as Seattle retains a top dueler in MLS, while A. Roldan will continue to function as a glue guy wherever Schmetzer needs him. Kossa-Rienzi has found himself in a similar role, as he's played far larger than his frame to carve out a role as a reserve wing back with plenty of offensive potential, while Hawkins tries for his first healthy full season in Seattle in 2026.
This position group would be ready to roll if the season started tomorrow.
Center Backs
- Yeimar
- Jackson Ragen
- Cody Baker
- Kim Kee-hee
While this unit, primarily manned by Yeimar and Jackson Ragen, is the heart of a stingy Sounders team, its depth was tested at the back end of the brutal 2025 slate.
Yeimar went down for a few weeks, as did Kee-hee, forcing A. Roldan into a center role that he played quite well. Seattle would do well to reinforce the depth at this position, as an aging Kee-hee may not be enough relief for the team's workhorses.
Defending Mids
- Cristian Roldan (designated player)
- Obed Vargas
- Snyder Brunell
- Danny Leyva (rumored to be on the move)
Losing João Paulo certainly puts Seattle's double pivot in a bind when its superstar tandem of Obed Vargas and Cristian Roldan isn't intact. Considering how strong of a pairing João Paulo formed with Leyva, Schmetzer had a go-to option when he needed to rest C. Roldan and Vargas.
Now, it'll be on Defiance signing Snyder Brunell to build on the solid flashes he showed at the end of the summer, as the team has good reason to believe they have a real prospect in the middle.
Still, Waibel may want one more veteran presence in the room — Vargas and Brunell are both under 20 years old.
Add to the fact that Vargas will be a prized target for some European squads this January, and Seattle's midfield will be something to watch as training camp grows nearer.
Attacking Wings
- Pedro de la Vega (DP)
- Georgi Minoungou
- Paul Arriola
This is a problem.
Paul Rothrock and Ryan Kent are both out of contract, with Waibel confirming last Tuesday that the latter would not return for 2026.
Pedro de la Vega finally found his footing as the DP Seattle thought it had on the wing, scoring sensational goals and creating consistent opportunities with his flamboyant dribbling in 2025. He's even up for a FIFA Puskas Award for his incredible goal in the Leagues Cup, but Seattle will need to temper its excitement.
De la Vega fractured his patella against NYCFC on Decision Day, setting him up for a lengthy recovery that won't have him back on the pitch until around mid-April.
Outside of their DP, the Sounders are in a rough spot.
Georgi Minoungou was a solid energy substitute with his top-flight dribbling, but his indecision often left opportunities unrealized as the 23-year-old figures out how to hit his potential. Paul Arriola had a solid start to the season before tearing his ACL in Concacaf play — the 30-year-old should be ready to roll for 2026.
So Seattle, whose strong offense leaned on its wings at times, has plenty of work to get this unit back to its usual strength as two of its three rostered wings are coming off devastating knee injuries.
A reunification with Rothrock is still on the table, as his work rate could cover either wing for long stretches as it did in 2025, but it appears unlikely.
Attacking Mids
- Albert Rusnák
- Jesús Ferreira
While Schmetzer has options here, no one played the 10 with more mastery than Rusnák and Ferreira for Seattle in 2025.
Rusnák dealt with injuries late in the season, but was Seattle’s leading scorer for much of the campaign en route to 19 goal contributions (41 in the last two seasons). Seattle’s ceiling on the offensive end will continue to rise to where Rusnák takes it in 2026.
Ferreira's first season in Seattle brought expectations of the kind of scoring seasons he put together at FC Dallas, leading many fans to dismay when the 24-year-old's scoring production cratered to the tune of four goals. But as the season progressed and Schmetzer slotted Ferreira in at the 10 and other playmaking spots, his feel for the game and touch as a passer shone through.
Ferreira finished the campaign with eight goal contributions (four assists) and proved to be a key motor in making this offense go. If the soon-to-be-25-year-old can rediscover the aggression that got him 30 goals in two seasons in 2022 and 2023, it could push Seattle's already explosive offense to new heights.
Strikers
- Jordan Morris (DP)
- Danny Musovski
- Osaze De Rosario
Seattle has what it needs to get by at the nine.
The question from fans has consistently been, can Seattle notch a ceiling-raising striker in the transfer market?
With Morris in and out of the lineup, Musovski hit a team and career-high in goals scored in 2025, while De Rosario scored in the Leagues Cup Final to announce himself to the league in his first season away from Defiance.
Morris got the nod in the playoffs and had an equalizing score against Minnesota in a Game 3 loss that would have lived forever in Seattle lore if the shootout had broken differently, but it didn't.
The bottom line here is that this is an adequate rotation, with a young De Rosario representing some room to improve, while the vets ahead of him have shown fans who they are as solid strikers.
Seattle doesn't need a flashy nine to score goals in bunches, but fans will continue to put the pressure on Waibel to see what that reality could look like.
Outlook: A Decent Start, Plenty of Work to Do
Outside of Leyva’s possible move, there haven't been many surprises so far.
Taking care of Nouhou's team-friendly option and getting young guys like De Rosario and Kossa-Rienzi situated for another year of strong development were no-brainers.
But Seattle doesn't have a viable team quite yet.
Kent showed flashes, but Waibel and company certainly must have something in mind to declare there won't be a spot for him despite rostering just three wings at the moment. Expect some outside help to arrive before the spring.
As of right now, Rothrock is still far apart from the Sounders in contract talks, and it appears the Seattle native will test the market before coming back to the bargaining table with his hometown side.
In the midfield, Leyva’s possible move throws a wrench in things, as Seattle will need a reliable and experienced player to help C. Roldan and Vargas hold the pivots down. Either way, the move signals an inherent belief in Snyder Brunell as his MLS career is just beginning.
All in all, we’re still a long way from late February when the Sounders kick off another campaign. But with pieces like de la Vega set to miss time early and multiple shallow position groups, Waibel has his work cut out for him to avoid an early-season slide akin to 2025.
He seems confident that this squad is close as currently constructed.
“In terms of a specific (roster move), I’m not sure there’s one that would unlock it because the truth is this is the exact group of players that won a big trophy,” Waibel said.
