Rumor: Sporting KC Linked to 22-Year-Old Brazilian Midfielder

It’s a quiet time on the Major League Soccer (MLS) calendar. Sporting Kansas City’s season has been over for quite a while, but MLS Cup isn’t played until Saturday afternoon (3:00 PM CST). With the expansion draft looming next Wednesday, the floodgates of offseason roster moves will likely really kick off after that point.

Once San Diego FC makes their first five selections, MLS moves quickly to the opening of free agency, end of year waivers and the two-stage re-entry process. Teams will no longer be incentivized to not sign players that they have to worry about losing in a draft (though any good Sporting Director would simply start the contract next year).

While we live in this lull, any shred of news is interesting to grasp ahold of. Sporting KC have a long list of needs to fill this offseason, so rumors — real or otherwise — are bound to start filling those gaps. One such rumor emerged a couple of weeks ago but got some added fuel this week.

What’s the Rumor?!

A report from One Football, siting MLS Multiplex, has Vasco da Gama midfielder, Mateus Carvalho, being attached to Sporting KC. The rumor felt very flimsy at that time, since it didn’t sound like a fit and no sources were cited. But author Arthur Fernandes claims, “Sporting Kansas City sent scouts to São Januário,” and we do know Mike Burns was in South America recently as well. The FanSided article was full of bluster about Carvalho being the “missing piece,” for SKC. A stretch with a team full of so many needs.

A little weight was added this week when RTI Esporte Agency, “found out that Sporting Kansas City, from the United States, offered US$ 2.5 million (R$ 15.1 million, at the current exchange rate) to acquire 80% of Mateus Carvalho’s economic rights from Gigante da Colina.” (Update: Transfermarkt has his value at 800,000 Euros, about $845,ooo USD.)

The story goes on to say a representative of Carvalho’s current team, Vasco, “confirmed the existence of the offer.” They did say they won’t consider it until the Brazil Serie A season ends, which is this weekend. The outlet says they have two sources within the team, including President Paulo de Oliveira, but that “the values do not meet the interests of the São Januário Club, which is waiting for a new proposal.”

They also say he wants to stay in Brazil but that they are open to selling the player to help with their financials. It’s not uncommon for Brazilian clubs to sell players on frequently to fund their operations. Vasco da Gama only recently required Carvalho for R$ 2 million (approx. $110,000 USD) in 2023. That would be quite the profit asking for a fee above $2.5 million USD.

Who is Mateus Carvalho?

He’s a 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder, who Transfermarkt lists as primarily playing in the defensive midfielder position. TM has him making 31 appearances with two goals and an assist in 2024 and in the starting eleven 65 percent of the time. He also has nine (!!) yellow cards, showing he’s either a physical presence or a bit reckless (or perhaps a bit of both, according to his “highlights”). He stands at 6’0 tall, which is an asset in that part of the field. He had another 26 appearances last year for Vasco.

Both RTI and Transfermarkt list him as being under contract through December of 2027, so it will surely take a transfer fee to pry him free.

Vasco de Gama currently sit midtable in Serie A, at 10th out of a possible 20th with a negative 14 goal differential.

Defensive midfielder “highlights” are a little hard to come by. Here is a cut up of seemingly all of his touches from a single game. He earns a yellow and goes to ground making tackles perhaps a little too often. But you can also see the quality of his passing at times, and he hits a nice switch as well.

Doesn’t Qualify as a U22 Initiative Signing

Part of what makes this rumor untenable is that Carvalho doesn’t meet the threshold to be a U22 initiative signing. He will turn 23 in 2025, which would disqualify him from that portion of the roster, according to the 2024 version of the MLS Roster Rules.

A Player must be twenty-two years old or younger in the first year he is eligible to play in an MLS game (e.g., not eligible for 2024 if he turns 23 in 2024). 

That would mean his rumored transfer fee (not to mention Vasco wanting even more) would need to fit into the budget, likely making him a Young Designated Player. Defensive midfield isn’t typically where you see teams use roster spots like that.

Fit with Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City need help all over the field. They let in 66 goals in 2024, a number only “bested” by three teams: the San Jose Earthquakes (78), New England Revolution (74) and D.C. United (70). Putting a wall in front of the back four is appealing.

And the team needs help in the midfield, with only Erik Thommy, Nemanja Radoja, Jake Davis, Memo Rodriguez and Zorhan Bassong signed for 2025. Of that group, Thommy sometimes plays forward and Davis and Bassong sometimes play defense. There are only two pure midfielders on the roster, though it’s clear the others may be needed there and Davis in particular seems like a possible starter this year in the middle of the park.

Another factor is the second highest paid player on the team is Nemanja Radoja, who plays the same spot as Carvahlo and currently occupies a Designated Player (DP) spot. Radoja is best in a single pivot, meaning no midfielder next to him, only players in front of him. If Carvahlo were to arrive, Radoja would clearly need to be on the way out for both the budgetary space and for room in the lineup.

In prior interviews, new Sporting Director, Mike Burns, has hinted the team was leaning towards using the roster model of two DPs and four U22 players. Unless the reporting on the transfer fee is wildly off, it’s hard to imagine this move happens. The team has been very clear they are looking to sign a number 10 (attacking midfielder). Carvahlo doesn’t fit that mold, and Pulido is already taking up the other DP spot unless a team inexplicably wants to take him off KC’s hands.

Rumor Chances: Under 10%

I simply don’t see this happening. There are too many “ifs.” If Radoja is leaving. If the fee is lower. If Carvahlo’s birthday is wrong and he can qualify for a U22 Initiative. On and on.

Silly season can still be fun to think about though. A signing like Carvahlo would be exciting. A young player, full of potential, possibly playing a key role. SKC will likely be linked to many more players in the coming weeks as they accelerate their build for 2025. The team will likely begin preseason in early January, so the signings have to start coming soon.