Former Tacoma Defiance left back Alex Villanueva has signed a multi-year deal with Orange County SC of the USL Championship, ESPN reported. Sounder at Heart confirmed the report, while also learning that it was a free transfer. Villanueva had been on trial with both the Columbus Crew and LAFC this preseason.
It’s a similar situation to the one facing Ray Serrano, who was allowed to join Louisville City without a transfer fee. In both cases, the Sounders essentially decided to allow promising young players to leave for free in order to further their professional aspirations.