Major League Soccer's summer transfer window doesn't open until July 18th, but that doesn't mean teams aren't working on it.argentinian journalist Uriel Lugut Two MLS clubs are reportedly interested in the young Venezuelan midfielder, with TV and radio host Armando Naranjo saying one of them is Sporting Kansas City.
Who is the player in question? Bryant Ortega, 21 years old. He currently plays for Caracas FC in the Venezuelan first division. It's the same team he went through the academy with. Bryant Jesus Ortega Carmona also has experience playing for the Venezuelan national team at youth level, appearing for the U20, U21 and U23 teams. He has played 20 games and scored a goal for his country.
๐โ๐จ Bryant Ortega has the most important role in MLS.This is a notice @urieliugt
โก๏ธ Active as a player for Sporting Kansas CityHey ku esperal.Ohara cere de, let's create the best moments
Caracas concerns https://t.co/jOKTBFoQlL
โ Armando Naranjo ๐ Naranjazos (@Naranjazos10) May 18, 2024
Transfermarkt describes him as a central midfielder who is capable of playing both a defensive and attacking role. This season he played a bit for the first team, which is far down the table. He played in all five games of the continental competition, the Copa Libertadores, and played a total of 874 minutes in six league games. During that time, he has neither goals nor assists.
Caracas is one of the four teams representing the Venezuelan league in the Copa Libertadores, finishing runners-up in the national league in 2023. They were eliminated from the group stage with just one point in five games. The draw was against Argentine side Rosario Central.
Looking further back into his relatively young career, we see that he has already logged 5,012 minutes of playing time, with two goals and six assists in 73 games. He has played a few games as a right-back and one as a right-midfielder, but has mostly played in midfield.
Does Sporting KC have a roster room?
Transfermarkt is on the fence on this front, but he's worth $500,000. His contract runs until December 2025, so he would need a transfer fee to lure him away from the club.
If the new rules rumored to be introduced in MLS this summer are true, they shouldn't be a problem for Sporting KC. That would open up an initiative slot for the U-22s, which he would likely slot into. That means his transfer fee won't affect the budget, and as long as he makes less than $683,750 this season, only his $200,000 salary will count towards the salary budget.
The team currently has three Under-22 initiative players: Marinos Tsionis, Logan Ndembe and Robert Voloder.
highlight
Below are highlights of his 2023 season. Many highlights show him in a deep midfield position. I can't be 100% sure where he lines up as I don't know what formation Venezuela or the club play, but I'd say he's more of a defensive midfielder (#6). I feel like he's a box-to-box midfielder (#8). It's not quite the offensive role that SKC fans have been thinking about for Alan Pulido in recent weeks.
This is a highlights package so I don't want to give too much away, but he seems to have pretty smooth footwork, has explosive quickness and can pick out his passes very well. They even have some defensive highlights of him reading the lane well and even being a little physical at times.
Sporting KC's fit
If he can play throughout the midfield, he could be a valuable asset in a midfield that is seriously lacking this season. Aside from the three regular starters Eric Tomi, Remi Walter and Nemanja Ladoja, Memo Rodriguez is the only one to see regular minutes. Pulido played out of position in midfield, and Felipe Hernรกndez watched the field sparingly.
Looking at the highlights and stats, Ortega doesn't seem to be conscious of super attacks, so he will probably be a cover for Walter or even Radoja.
Again, this season is affectionately referred to as “Silly Season,” so don't get too excited. Coach Peter Vermes said the team is looking to add players this summer and filling that U-22 slot could make a lot of sense. Given the risk-reward trade-off that comes with spending on a young player, whether it's Ortega or someone else, a midfielder or attacker would probably be a better use of that slot.
What do you think about Ortega? Does he fit the way Sporting KC wants to play? Please turn off the sound in the comments.