Sporting Kansas City announced Monday that the club has traded defender Ike Opara to Minnesota United FC in exchange for $900,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and a potential $100,000 in future Targeted Allocation Money.
Opara, 29, joined Sporting KC ahead of the 2013 campaign and started 120 of 136 appearances for the club in all competitions. The center back ends his six-year stay in Kansas City after recording 15 goals, six assists and garnering 2017 MLS Defender of the Year honors.
Now in his 10th MLS season, Opara has played 157 MLS matches (including playoffs) since joining the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest University. After three seasons in San Jose, Opara was traded to Sporting KC where he helped the team win the 2013 MLS Cup and two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2015 and 2017.
On the international stage, Opara represented the United States at the U-20 and U-23 levels between 2008-2012 before making his senior debut for the U.S. Men’s National Team in January 2018.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) trades defender Ike Opara to Minnesota United FC (MLS) in exchange for $900,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and a potential $100,000 in future Targeted Allocation Money.
