Sporting KC
Sporting KC adds Norwegian midfielder Berg Johnsen
SKC adds Lasse Berg Johnsen
Sporting Kansas City has acquired midfielder Lasse Berg Johnsen from Malmö FF in the Swedish Allsvenskan. The 26-year-old midfielder has signed a two-and-a-half-year MLS contract through the 2027-2028 season with a club option for the 2028-2029 season. Berg Johnsen will occupy an international spot on Sporting’s roster, pending receipt of his P1 visa and International Transfer Certificate. He has been reported to be on the move for a couple of weeks, and Sporting KC has now sealed the transfer.
“We are delighted to add Lasse to the team,” President of Soccer Operations & General Manager David Lee said via press release. “Lasse is a highly experienced and accomplished player in both the domestic and international game and he arrives in Kansas City as he enters the prime of his career. He has excellent quality in possession and fits the profile of midfielder that we wanted to add to the squad. Lasse has shown throughout his career that he is a winner, while his personality and character will elevate our locker room.”
Berg Johnsen has made 258 career appearances, scoring 18 goals with 21 assists. He notched 13 goals and 15 assists in 104 matches since joining Swedish powerhouse Malmö FF in 2023. The Norwegian midfielder has also made three appearances for his national team, all of which were in late 2024 and early 2025.
The Norwegian international started his career with Viking FK in Norway’s top division, making 56 professional appearances by the age of 21. He then moved to Randers FC in Denmark’s top division, where he notched four goals and three assists in 98 appearances. He helped lead Randers to the 2021 Danish Cup. He moved to Malmö FF in the summer of 2023.
Lasse Berg Johnsen gives Sporting KC more options in the midfield. New head coach Raphael Wicky has experimented with his limited roster in the preseason, including Manu Garcia at the double pivot. Berg Johnsen has played 150 matches listed as a central midfielder and 82 as a defensive midfielder. This would allow Wicky to move Manu up the field or use them as a double pivot with more expereince.
Sporting KC Roster
- Goalkeepers (4): Stefan Cleveland, Jack Kortkamp, John Pulskamp, Ryan Schewe
- Defenders (6): Zorhan Bassong, Ian James, Wyatt Meyer, Jansen Miller, Jayden Reid, Justin Reynolds
- Midfielders (6): Kwaku Agyabeng, Jacob Bartlett, Lasse Berg Johnsen, Jake Davis, Manu Garcia, Cielo Tschantret
- Forwards (5): Stephen Afrifa, Calvin Harris, Dejan Joveljic, Daniel Salloi, Shapi Suleymanov
VITALS
Lasse Berg Johnsen (LAH-seh)
Number: 4
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 8/18/1999 (26 years old)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 175 lbs.
Hometown: Stavanger, Norway
Birthplace: Stavanger, Norway
Citizenship: Norway
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This is an exciting development. I assume he will play the no6 which would move Manu farther up the pitch.
But how long until he sees the field? 2 months?
Malmo last played January 29th. He should still be in shape. Hopefully the Visa process is quicker than it was for Wicky.
Wicky visa process wasn’t too bad. Always feels longer when waiting for them to show up.
Thank God! Who knows how he’ll actually look, but hopefully this means we won’t get shredded in the midfield like last year.
So, Manu and Johnsen doing the holding and attack thing, and Jake gets to play the reincarnation of Roger. I can live with that.
Definitely the move of the offseason (not that there is much to compare it against).
I’m intrigued to see how Wicky uses these guys. I could see Berg Johnsen and Manu next to each other in this current formation they are playing in. That doesn’t leave room for the other guys to get many midfield minutes, but maybe that’s the best for this current roster.
Then again, I can see Wicky not being married to the 4-4-2 long-term. I think he’s going to play around with things and try to get the best out of what little he’s given. It’ll be interesting to see if the three-man midfield returns since it disappeared at CVI.