Sources: USMNT’s Vazquez headed to Monterrey

United States and FC Cincinnati forward Brandon Vázquez is set to join Liga MX‘s Monterrey after agreeing to contract details on Wednesday, sources told ESPN MX.

Monterrey and Cincinnati reached a deal last week for the player, who will sign a four-year contract with the Mexican club and arrive for preseason training in the coming days.

The Athletic was the first to report the story, adding that the fee for the 25-year-old will be in the region of $7.5 million with another $1 million in potential add-ons and a sell-on clause.

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Vazquez reportedly had interest from European clubs, as well as from Liga MX powerhouses Chivas, which attempted to sign the player in 2023.

Before eventually agreeing to a contract deal with fellow Liga MX side Monterrey, the Mexican-American striker told ESPN last summer that he believed Cincinnati would provide “the fastest route and best route to get to Europe” after a deal was turned down for Chivas.

Thanks to his 28 goals scored in his last two seasons, the forward earned an MLS All-Star appearance in 2022 and a Supporters’ Shield title in 2023 with FC Cincinnati, which lost to eventual champions Columbus Crew in the semifinals of the MLS Cup playoffs.

He previously played for Atlanta United FC (2017-19), where he clinched an MLS Cup title in 2018 and a U.S. Open Cup title in 2019, although Vazquez had a minimal role with just three goals in just as many MLS seasons.

A native of Chula Vista, California, Vazquez was developed as a Liga MX youth academy product across the border with Club Tijuana, but only made one appearance for the senior team through a domestic cup match.

Eligible for both Mexico and the United States at the international level, Vazquez eventually made his senior debut for the USMNT in 2022 and has gone on to collect four goals across eight USMNT appearances.

Vazquez told ESPN in 2023 that “nobody” from the Mexican federation had reached out to him before he committed his future to the U.S.

Earlier on Tuesday, Monterrey also made headlines by signing 28-year-old Argentine midfielder and defender Jorge “Corcho” Rodríguez. In the recent 2023 Apertura season, Monterrey finished second in the regular season table, but were knocked out in the quarterfinal stage of the playoffs.

Monterrey begin the 2024 Clausura season on Jan. 13 against Puebla.