San Diego FC just added some creative juice to their midfield. The expansion side announced Thursday they’ve acquired Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Pirani from D.C. United, giving head coach Mikey Varas another attacking option as the club fights for a playoff spot in its inaugural season.
The trade breaks down like this: D.C. gets up to $1 million in General Allocation Money, with $350,000 guaranteed and another $650,000 tied to performance-based conditions. United also kept a sell-on percentage, which is standard for a player with Pirani’s upside. He’ll occupy one of San Diego’s U22 Initiative roster slots, so there’s no cap hit that would force the club to overpay for a guy with his profile.
Pirani, 24, came to MLS back in July 2023 on loan from Brazilian club Santos, and D.C. made that move permanent in January 2024. Since then he’s logged 14 goals and 7 assists in 78 regular-season appearances. That’s solid but not spectacular numbers for a guy who started regularly under previous coaching staffs. Thing is, he lost his starting spot this season under the new regime of head coach René Weiler and managing director of soccer operations Dr. Erkut Sogut. That made him available.
Before MLS, Pirani put up 8 goals and 5 assists in 111 professional games for Fluminense, Cuiabá, and boyhood club Santos. He’s also a former Brazil youth international, which tells you the technical ceiling is there.
San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps sounded pretty pumped about the pickup.
“Gabriel is a player we’ve followed closely and believe is a great fit for our group,” Heaps said. “His creativity, technical ability, and attacking qualities will strengthen our competition within the squad as we prepare for a busy second half of the season.”
What This Means for Both Sides
San Diego sits 10th in the Western Conference with 17 points, just outside the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs picture. They’re coming off the 2026 FIFA World Cup break and need some juice if they want to make a push. Pirani gives them a guy who can unlock defenses with a pass or finish himself. The U22 Initiative tag means they’re getting that production on a budget-friendly deal.
D.C., meanwhile, holds the last playoff spot in the East at ninth place with 18 points. They’re not exactly punting the season here. They’re just cashing in on a player who fell out of favor and freeing up allocation money to rebuild under Weiler and Sogut. The sell-on clause could pay off down the road if Pirani lights it up in Southern California and gets sold overseas.
“We want to thank Gabriel for his contributions to the club since his arrival in 2023,” Sogut said. “This trade provides us with valuable resources and roster flexibility as we continue to build our squad for 2026 and beyond.”
Both teams are back in action July 22. San Diego travels to Colorado Rapids (9:30 pm ET on Apple TV) and D.C. heads to Houston to face Dynamo FC (8:30 pm ET on Apple TV). Pirani should be available for selection by then, assuming the paperwork gets done in time.
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