Minnesota United signs U.S. international winger Josh Gatt
U.S. international winger Josh Gatt has signed with Minnesota United from Norway's Molde, the MLS expansion franchise announced on Wednesday.
Gatt, 25, has been beset by injuries in recent years, missing all of the 2014 season, most of 2015 and more than half of 2016 while overcoming various knee surgeries. When healthy, Gatt boasts blazing speed. He scored nine goals between the 2012 and 2013 seasons at Molde and earned a pair of U.S. caps under Jurgen Klinsmann in November 2012 and January 2013 before falling off the map due to his injury woes.
“Josh has been on the American soccer radar for years,” Minnesota United sporting director Manny Lagos said in a statement. “He’s a young player, who left for Europe to build his career. He’s had some really good moments, and a couple of tough injuries. But I think this situation lines up perfectly, in regards to where Josh is as a player, and what we’re doing as a club.”
A Michigan native, Gatt previously played for Rheindorf Altach in Austria.
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His signing marks a busy day of dealing for Minnesota United, which dealt the top spot in the MLS allocation order to the Vancouver Whitecaps for $100,000 in General Allocation Money in 2018, $125,000 in Targeted Allocation Money in 2018, an international roster spot for the 2017 and the Whitecaps' spot in the allocation order, allowing Vancouver to sign former Seattle Sounders star forward Fredy Montero. Minnesota now sits fourth in the order, which is used to sign a select group of players who are either U.S. internationals, elite U.S. youth players or players returning to MLS after leaving for a transfer fee of more than $500,000.
Despite his past status with the U.S., Gatt was not included on the set list of players subjected to the allocation order.
