After just five-plus months in Seattle, Magnus Wolff Eikrem’s time with the Sounders has ended.
On Friday, the club announced that it had waived the 27-year-old Norwegian international, who signed on Jan. 30. Wolff Eikrem earned 594 minutes in 15 MLS appearances, including a goal and an assist in six starts. He only started once in the Sounders’ last eight matches before missing last weekend’s match at Atlanta United.
“What I’d say about Magnus is he’s a good pro,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer on Friday. “He did what we asked. Maybe it wasn’t the right fit or style of play. There were some things that all the team was struggling with at that time, maybe he could have done better to help out. The long-term future of the club, I think there was a decision that we needed to move on."
The timing of the move is beneficial for both club and player, as Seattle has opened an international roster designation for a potential TAM-level signing, while Wolff has the opportunity to sign with a new club before the start of the European season. A playmaking attacking midfielder, Wolff Eikrem found it difficult to crack the lineup in a crowded midfield surrounded by players of his ilk.
“When you look at Magnus, when he was playing at Molde, he would get the ball and he would have runners going in front of him and he’d be able to deliver balls,” said Schmetzer. “Once we lost Jordan, we didn’t really have that. We were all really playing into feet in front, and we already have a lot of guys who play like that. We just couldn’t get him on the field with the right combination of players.”
Schmetzer added that the club had not finished its summer additions after signing forward and Designated Player Raúl Ruidíaz, who is expected to make his debut this Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps (1 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, Univision-Seattle, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS). VP of Soccer & Sporting Director Chris Henderson echoed Schmetzer’s statements, both about Wolff Eikrem and potential future additions during this window.
“You can’t get everyone right,” Henderson said. “Sometimes when you see a guy scouting, his [former] team might play a little bit differently. Trying to project how he’s going to fit into our team, that’s the trick. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes it just doesn’t click right. He’s a good pro, he did some good things for us. We thanked him for everything and his effort. We wish him luck."
“We have a list of guys we’ve been looking through,” Henderson continued. “The window’s still open. We’re working hard. Hopefully we can do some things to bolster our team for the run we have in front of us.”
