New York, N.Y., – New York City Football Club (NYCFC) today announced that it has traded Forward Heber to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for up to $550K in General Allocation Money (GAM).
The Club will receive a guaranteed amount of $400,000, with $200,000 in 2023 GAM and $200,000 in 2024 GAM, and an additional $150,000 if certain performance-based incentives are met.
Since joining in 2019 from Croatian side HNK Rijeka, the Brazilian striker has played 90 games for NYCFC, tallying 4,423 minutes across various competitions scoring 30 goals and recording seven assists. His goalscoring abilities, charisma and bright smile made him beloved by fans and teammates.
Heber was an instant sensation on the pitch, scoring 15 goals in his first season, winning NYCFC Newcomer of the Year and Goal of the Year for 2019. Heber partially missed the 2020 and 2021 seasons with a ruptured cruciate ligament injury.
Sporting Director David Lee said: “Heber has been such an integral part of our Club the past four seasons. Since the day he arrived he’s brought a huge amount of joy to our training facility and has been a great person to work with. Ultimately, as we headed into the offseason we needed to make moves in our roster to add resources which will allow us to reshape the squad for the seasons ahead.
“Heber made an immediate impact on the pitch after he joined the Club and became a focal point of our team in 2019, which helped us to finish in first place in the Eastern Conference that season, and he showed incredible determination to recover from his ACL injury across 2020 and 2021. He has also been such an important player in our locker room with his infectious and competitive personality across the last four seasons. Heber will always be remembered by everyone at the Club for his goals and many great moments, we would like to thank him for all he has done and wish him all the very best in Seattle.”
Heber said: “I love this Club and this City, since I arrived in 2019, I’ve felt completely at home. Despite the ups and downs, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here for what we have been able to accomplish as a team. Being able to win trophies for New York City and its amazing fans is something I will always treasure.
“I would like to thank my teammates, the medical team and everyone at the Club for all the support you gave me while I was returning from injury. I couldn’t have done it without you and I now feel as fit and strong as ever. I am excited by the new challenge in Seattle and am very happy to be staying in MLS which is a league I now love. I will always remember my time in New York very fondly and it will always have a very special place in my heart.”
Everyone at NYCFC wishes Heber all the best in the step of his career.
Transaction: New York City Football Club trades Forward Heber to Seattle Sounders in exchange for up to $550K in General Allocation Money
