Sergio Córdova joins Vancouver Whitecaps - Augsburg will make a profit

This article first appeared on Feb. 2 and has been updated once the deal was made official.

Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps have found their new no. 9. Venezuelan striker Sergio Córdova returns to MLS in a deal worth around €2.1 million—twice the amount of what FC Augsburg paid when they signed the striker from Caracas FC in 2017. First reported by Transfermarkt at the start of February, all sides have finally agreed on a transfer. Córdova will be a Designated Player (DP) and has signed a contract until 2025 with a club option for one additional year. 

“Sergio is a player who impressed us during his first year in MLS with Real Salt Lake and arrives in Vancouver as he enters his prime,” Vancouver Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a club statement. “He fits the profile of a striker we want to have amongst our group. He is a proven goalscorer in our league, brings size and strength, as well as tenacity in the final third. We’re excited to welcome Sergio to Vancouver and our club.”

Córdova would, therefore, return to MLS after spending last season on loan at Real Salt Lake City, where he scored 11 goals and one assist in 35 games across all competitions. That goalscoring record is impressive when one considers that six of those goals came in the last 14 MLS games for RSL, showing that Córdova needed some time to adapt to the league. With a full MLS season under his belt, the Whitecaps will hope he hits the ground running this season right away. 

Córdova to the Whitecaps - Augsburg with a big turnover

Vancouver, in fact, are in dire need of a new striker. The club lost Lucas Cavallini to free agency in the winter, and the Canadian men's national team striker has since signed for Mexican club Tijuana. The Whitecaps were also interested in Wolfsberger AC's Israeli forward Tai Baribo, but a deal was to complicated to get across the line this winter. 

Bundesliga side Augsburg, in the meantime, have experienced a significant turnover this winter. Augsburg have signed forwards Dion Beljo (Osijek), Kelvin Yeboah (Genoa), and Irvin Cardona (Stade Brest) in the winter and expects the return of US forward Ricardo Pepi (on loan at Groningen) in the summer. With all those options available, there was no room for Córdova despite a successful loan in MLS, where he improved his market value from €1m to €1.2m. A market value that should continue to trend upward if the 25-year-old continues the second-half trend he showed last season in British Columbia. 

Cordova's former MLS club RSL will also benefit from the deal. Vancouver received the Major League Soccer right of first refusal for Córdova from Real Salt Lake in exchange for the ‘Caps natural first round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft and up to $300,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM)—$100,000 in 2023 GAM and $100,000 in 2024 GAM guaranteed, as well as $100,000 in 2025 GAM if Córdova starts at least five regular season matches prior to December 31, 2024.