MLS, Mexico Star ‘in Talks’ Over Dream European Move Ahead of Transfer Deadline

Obed Vargas is reportedly in talks with La Liga giants after early-career success with Seattle Sounders FC.

Obed Vargas turned down an offer to move to Liga MX and is now in talks with European clubs. | Hector Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images

Obed Vargas has talked about Atlético Madrid as his favorite club growing up, and now the Seattle Sounders and Mexico wonderkid finds himself reportedly in talks with the La Liga giants as the Spanish transfer window nears its final hours.

The 20-year-old Alaska-born midfielder, who opted to represent Mexico, has been a standout player with the Sounders in MLS since signing as a homegrown player in 2021. 

During his time with the Sounders, he has played over 92 regular-season games, netting six goals and 12 assists. In 2025, he also helped the club win the 2025 Leagues Cup, beating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the final.

With his immense first-division experience and having earned the honor of being ranked as the top player in the annual MLS 22 Under-22 rankings, Vargas has attracted many top clubs from around the world, having rejected a Liga MX move in December in favor of a move to Europe.

Personal terms should be of little issue to the Atlético fan and the Sounders are in discussion with the capital club regarding the potential terms of a deal for a player with less than 12 months left on his contract, according to The Athletic. 

“My priority is going to Europe,” Vargas told ESPN earlier this month. “If a move doesn’t happen before that, then the idea is at the end of the year.”

Should Vargas stay with Seattle, he would chase more MLS success in the regular season and playoffs, while also taking on the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup, with his eyes on earning an El Tri call to the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted in Mexico, the United States and Canada. 

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Vargas’s Atlético Dreams

Obed Vargas (left) faced Atlético Madrid at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. | PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP/Getty Images

Despite being from the Alaskan capital of Anchorage and growing up in a time zone not overly friendly to following European soccer, Vargas has been a longtime fan of Atlético Madrid—and had previously spoken of his fondness for the club before the potential move came into the picture. 

At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, he played 90 minutes in the Sounders 3–1 loss against Atlético at Lumen Field, before swapping shirts with his idol and longtime Atlético star, Antoine Griezmann, who has been rumored to be on an MLS move in the near future. 

“Atlético de Madrid, they’re underdogs, all the time. And when I lived in Alaska, I started watching them, especially in the 2014 Champions League final,” Vargas told the Sounders’ website. “And I think it correlates with my own story. ... I identify myself with that, coming from Alaska, of having to fight through moving, and an Academy team, second team, a national team. ... I think it’s been my mentality all the way through my career.”

If Vargas is to find a deal with his boyhood club, it will have to come quickly, with the Spanish transfer window slamming shut on Monday evening.

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