He's back: Fredy Montero, Seattle Sounders' all-time scoring leader, signs one-year deal with club

Fredy Montero is back.

The Colombian striker signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Sounders, the club announced Thursday. The contract includes club options for 2022 and 2023.

The team’s all-time scoring leader across all competitions, Montero will join Sounders FC after a mandatory quarantine and testing protocols.

“I have a lot of fond memories of Fredy Montero in a Sounders jersey, and I’m pleased to welcome him back to the club,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said in a statement. “He has always been a dynamic attacker with a strong finishing touch. I’m always happy to have players that can score goals and am looking forward to getting him on the training pitch as our 2021 preparations ramp up.”

The 5-foot-9 Montero, 33, played with the Sounders for their first four MLS seasons (2009-12), winning the club's Golden Boot award in each of the first three. His 60 goals across all competitions are a franchise record, and his 47 goals and 34 assists for Seattle in regular-season play are both tied for the most in club history with Clint Dempsey and Mauro Rosales, respectively.

Montero returns to Seattle after spending three of the last four seasons with Vancouver Whitecaps. He posted 26 goals and 14 assists for the club.

Since his first stint with the Sounders, Montero has also played abroad in his native Colombia, Portugal and China. After the 2012 season, his last with Seattle, Montero played on loan for Colombian club Millonarios and Portugal’s Sporting CP. He joined the latter on a permanent transfer in January of 2014, tallying 27 goals across three seasons in Portugal. He then played for Chinese club Tianjin Tigers FC in the 2016 season, tallying nine goals.

Montero was on loan with Vancouver in 2017, played one more season with Sporting CP in 2018 and was back with the Whitecaps for the last two seasons.

Before joining the Sounders for their inaugural MLS season in 2009, Montero played for Colombia’s Deportivo Cali.

“Fredy is a prolific forward who’s proven himself in MLS and abroad, in addition to still holding a number of club records here,” Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey said in a press release. “When good players return to Seattle, it speaks to the strong culture that we’ve built. I’m looking forward to bringing him into the group and seeing what he can contribute to our attack.”