By now, Jürgen Locadia doesn’t need an introduction. You saw his named linked in transfer rumors last week and watched videos of supporters greeting him at CVG.
As of Monday evening, Locadia is FC Cincinnati’s new striker and comes with an impressive resume and lofty expectations.
His backstory includes a club-record transfer for Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, and he joins the Orange and Blue as a proven goalscorer in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga.
While his initial loan lasts until July 5, if Locadia can replicate the success he’s had at previous clubs, this transfer move could be a coup for FC Cincinnati entering their second MLS season.
What Locadia offers
The right-footed forward has pace and great movement getting into the box and creating opportunities. The former Dutch youth international grew up playing in the tactical system that head coach Ron Jans wants to implement, so Locadia will have a strong understanding of his role on the pitch.
At 26-years-old, he arrives in MLS as someone who can make an instant impact for a club needing impact players in its attacking third. The team just moved on from one Designated Player who scored one league goal in 2019, but Locadia has the potential to score in bunches entering 2020.
As FCC look to be more creative in the final third, Locadia is a forward who can both create on his own and finish what teammates create for him.
How this impacts the team
We’re weeks away from the first match, but Locadia can be penciled in as a starter along the front line. He’s the second DP on the roster and has the potential to reshape the club’s offense, which produced a league-low 31 goals in 2019.
FCC now have four rostered players who can play in the No. 9 role: Locadia, Brandon Vazquez, Rashawn Dally and Darren Mattocks. Vazquez is a promising 21-year-old and Dally is entering his second season as a pro. Mattocks is training with the team but hasn’t playing in a preseason match.
The Orange and Blue have two DPs in Locadia and Yuya Kubo. Both enter their first MLS seasons after amassing impressive resumes in European football.
Entering the offseason, GM Gerard Nijkamp said he needed to make moves that could give head coach Ron Jans the best chance to be successful. Looking at this move – and the offseason acquisitions – that’s happened
FC Cincinnati wanted to ensure they would never have another season like 2019. On paper, they’ve proven that. Now, what can they prove on the field in 2020?
If Locadia can live up to his potential, FCC just signed one of the league’s top goalscorers. That’s a coup for any club, but especially for one where goals were so hard to come by last season.
