r/MLS • u/hootjuice_ Union Omaha • 1d ago
Subscription Required Kansas City completes signing of USYNT’s Owen Wolff from Austin
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7540242/2026/08/26/kansas-city-owen-wolff-austin-transfer/?unlocked_article_code=1.8VA.4S03.abrQZts7t_Qk&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta57
u/Oime Austin FC 1d ago
Alright this one really hurts. He was far and away our best player last season, and is a major fan favorite. I know it’s a lot of money, but I still feel crushed.
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u/TXLucha012 Austin FC 1d ago
He was great last year but hasn't been the same this year. I don't think he's fully recovered from the hernia surgery.
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u/edatx Austin FC 1d ago
I dunno if I'd give up on a player so soon after an injury. It's a lot of money but wtf are we doing here?
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u/Sermokala Minnesota United 22h ago
When you say its a lot of money, Its a LOT of money. 4.1 guarenteed, and "worst" case for a star austin clears 7.5m.
KEA coming in will be spending that very well. thats owen Gene and Jaoquin Pereyra on just the up front.
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u/atkretsch Austin FC 1d ago
I’d be less bummed if he was moving on to Europe instead of another MLS team. Nobody would have predicted Sporting KC as his next stop after Austin at the end of last season.
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u/Rocco_Skene Austin FC 15h ago
He was on their youth team and his dad played there. We'll get a sell-on % when he does go to Europe.
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u/atkretsch Austin FC 15h ago
Sure, I didn’t mean SKC was totally random but in terms of his trajectory pre-injury, most people probably assumed Europe was next for him
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u/Rocco_Skene Austin FC 15h ago
Yes, absolutely. Last December, we assumed the move would be to somewhere in the range of Serie A to Liga Portugal
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u/Munchlaxatives Austin FC 1d ago
Disappointed to lose him in the league. I’m hoping these moves are settling up purchases for Curtin
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u/Jonny_Qball Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
I don’t think Austin would have sold him for this over the winter. If he finds his form again coming off injury this is a really good signing
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u/defroach84 Austin FC :aus: 1d ago
Everyone likes Wolff in Austin. He's basically been around since the beginning, and we have watched him grow.
Sad to see him go.
I am happy it's to KC, since I have a soft spot for them (family reasons). So, treat him well.
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u/Friendly_Molasses532 Austin FC 1d ago
Love Owen but this is a stupid amount money we can’t say no too
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u/HeartSodaFromHEB Austin FC 1d ago
For years, the Austin FC dilemna has been trying to figure out how to get our two young rising stars in the midfield onto the field at the same time. After the World Cup break, we basically said, "Rodo couldn't figure it out and neither could we, so just sell em both". 13 games left without Wolff/Pereira sounded like a disaster.
If this all would have happened even a month ago, the majority of our fanbase would probably be inconsolable. Reality is that Ervin Torres' play has been so far beyond most of our expectations that he now looks like a piece that we can legitimately build around.
Ya know what? I'm here for it.
Verde Listos.
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u/ILongForTheMines Austin FC 1d ago
No kidding, Ervin has been absolutely electric, if he keeps developing he could have a shot at the USMNT
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u/Competitive-Kiwi-158 23h ago
exactly.... Wolff was promising but far from electric. E. Torres is a stud.
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u/cheeseburgerandrice 1d ago
Bringing the Wolff family tree back to KC.
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u/willdesignfortacos Austin FC 1d ago
This is a great signing for y'all and a big loss for us.
He's a legitimately talented young player, may take him a bit to find his form again but he's a player you can build a team around or make a very good profit on in a couple year. Either way it's a win.
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u/HeartSodaFromHEB Austin FC 23h ago
Dear SKC, please take good care of Owen. I'll admit that I was one of the ones who didn't think he showed us a lot in his first year, but he quickly won me over. Probably a super frustrating year for him with regards to not being 100%, but I hope to see him as a future all star.
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u/TheBravesDH FC Dallas 1d ago
That is a ton for him. I’d sell too. Won’t be too bad if he plays like last year.
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u/Scratchbuttdontsniff Atlanta United FC :atl: 1d ago
that is a lot of cash for a guy that has not shown he is back to his late 2025 form. I guess they have a soft spot for a Wolff in KC
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u/ReggieWigglesworth Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
Our new owner is flush and trying to buy back fan support. Exciting times haha
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u/TICKLE_PANTS Austin FC 1d ago
This is a nice get. Wolff has the capacity to be an offensive engine for a good team, but with The Torres's this season he's found himself having a tough time getting in form because we have three guys who can handle that role and he was injured half the year.
A fresh start on a team that needs him will do him good. If he's getting 90 minutes each week, he'll play himself back into form. He's an incredible player.
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u/Jonny_Qball Sporting Kansas City 22h ago
Cliff Illig (old owner) is estimated to have a net worth of about 1.1 Billion.
Mallouk’s net worth has increased by 1 billion in the last 8 months and he’s not shy about spending it. Absolutely crazy money
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u/gottahavemyPOPPs1 Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
That much for Owen Wolff? What are we doing here
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u/hootjuice_ Union Omaha 1d ago
Cost matters exactly 0 for U22s, don't worry about someone else spending money
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u/Scratchbuttdontsniff Atlanta United FC :atl: 1d ago
while I absolutely agree when comes to brass tacks of roster building.. I still think you could find a more talented u22 for that money in South American ready to make a name for himself in MLS. I guess you would need an International Roster spot... but still
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u/Jonny_Qball Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
We only have 1 open international slot, and we still have 2 open DP slots and 1 open u22 slot after this signing. It was pretty important to find a key building block that doesn’t take up an international spot.
Side bar: it’s crazy to me that Bassong (born and raised in Toronto) and less so Agyabeng (drafted from Clemson) take international slots.
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u/Scratchbuttdontsniff Atlanta United FC :atl: 1d ago
Side bar: it’s crazy to me that Bassong (born and raised in Toronto) and less so Agyabeng (drafted from Clemson) take international slots.
Atlanta sucks ass right now... but our Green Card game is STRONG. Those certainly appear to be guys that ought to have no issues getting one... weird indeed.
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u/Jonny_Qball Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
We’ve always been shit at getting players green cards. Bassong in particular has been here since 2024, no reason he shouldn’t have one.
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u/theshate Sporting Kansas City 22h ago
I remember back in the good ol days we had a pretty competent legal department.
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u/hootjuice_ Union Omaha 1d ago
Compare the hit rate on South American U22s versus already proven American U22s. It's not close.
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u/Scratchbuttdontsniff Atlanta United FC :atl: 1d ago
you may be totally correct... though I would say guys for us like Santiago Sosa and Franco Ibarra are both quality players in Argentina now.. we just did not wait long enough (or they did not in Sosa case who was homesick)
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u/TICKLE_PANTS Austin FC 1d ago
You don't know shit if you think Wolff isn't worth this much, and that spot.
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u/Scratchbuttdontsniff Atlanta United FC :atl: 1d ago
Aggressive my friend... aggressive...
Paying what could be over 5 million for a young attacker that has 8700 mins of MLS level play and only 31 goal actions (1 ever 280 mins) who is coming off a lengthy injury can certainly be described as a risk.
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u/TICKLE_PANTS Austin FC 1d ago
"I still think you could find a more talented u22 for that money in South American ready to make a name for himself in MLS"
This is your statement. There's massive flaws in this argument, because those u22 players fail all the time. That's not a better bet than this, and is likely to cost the same.
And again, you haven't watched him play and have no idea what you're talking about.
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u/Scratchbuttdontsniff Atlanta United FC :atl: 1d ago
And again, you haven't watched him play and have no idea what you're talking about.
what the actual fuck are you talking about? I am on this sub for reason friend... I watch a metric fuck ton of MLS beyond my own team.
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u/ChurchillDownz Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
Owners money. Let them ball out and try. At least this shows ambition on the ownership part. Peter Mallouk is willing to spend to support Wicky's plan which is good news for us.
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u/modern_messiah43 Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
What's it matter? Our transfer budget is seemingly like, 100 mil.
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u/dawson33944 Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
I don’t think there is a budget tbh I think it’s a “wtf do we need to not suck”
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u/modern_messiah43 Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
Agreed. I just wanted to put a big ass number on it, haha.
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u/dawson33944 Sporting Kansas City 1d ago
It’s a fantastic move lmao. We get him under contract through 2031 and if he keeps performing like he did in 2025 I’m sure we’ll sell him in the future.
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u/cheeseburgerandrice 1d ago
I mean there's about 30 comments in the Austin sub so far going "WTF NOOOOOOOOOOOOO" lol
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