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Sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, Sporting Kansas City are in urgent need of a turnaround and appear to have borrowed a page from Inter Miami's approach—specifically when it comes to spending big.
After an unsuccessful pursuit of Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah, Sporting KC pressed on and have now shelled out a club-record fee reportedly worth $18 million plus add-ons to land new Designated Player André Luiz from Greek Super League outfit Olympiacos. The 24-year-old Brazilian winger put pen to paper on a five-year deal running through the 2030–31 season on Tuesday.
"André is a dynamic player with pace, directness and technical ability who is coming off an excellent season in Portugal and Greece. At the age of 24, he fits with our model of adding quality players to our roster that still have their prime years ahead of them," said David Lee, the club's president of soccer operations & general manager.
"André was highly coveted in some of the top leagues in the world, so we are delighted that he has decided to commit his long-term future to Sporting KC."
Sporting KC have been absent from the MLS Cup playoffs since 2023, and the prospect of ending that drought this season looks increasingly unlikely with each passing week. With just four victories from 19 outings so far, Luiz faces the considerable challenge of sparking an immediate turnaround.
The Trend of Sparing No Expense
In MLS, no club opens its wallet quite like Inter Miami. While they most recently brought in former Manchester United midfielder Casemiro on a free transfer, David Beckham's side reportedly spent $15 million to sign Designated Player Germán Berterame from Liga MX heavyweights Monterrey back in January.
Berterame ranked as the second-costliest incoming transfer in Inter Miami's history, behind only Argentine star Rodrigo De Paul, who was permanently signed from La Liga's Atlético Madrid for a hefty $17 million last December, following a loan spell in the summer of 2025 during which he helped the Herons claim the MLS Cup. Lionel Messi had arrived as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Even so, Luiz's transfer fee surpasses anything Inter Miami have ever spent and dwarfs Sporting KC's previous second-highest outlay: Alan Pulido. The club brought in the Mexican forward from Liga MX's C.D. Guadalajara in December 2019 for $9.5 million—just over half of what they invested in Luiz.
Adding a Brazilian touch 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/bgyPFvTqq9
Luiz's fee still falls well short of the league record, however, which LAFC shattered in August 2025 to secure South Korean icon Son Heung-min from Tottenham Hotspur. The Los Angeles club reportedly paid $26.5 million for his services, shortly after Son had helped Spurs lift the 2024–25 Europa League trophy.
Sporting KC, who have been shut out in their last three matches—all defeats—return to the pitch on Wednesday night against rivals St. Louis City SC, before taking on Atlanta United over the weekend, a game in which Luiz could make his debut.