Why Alan Velasco is the Biggest Signing in FC Dallas History

FRISCO, Texas – After weeks of Twitter rumors, translated news articles and many, many YouTube highlight compilations, it’s finally official: Alan Velasco is an FC Dallas player.

The 19-year-old completed his move from Argentina's Independiente to FC Dallas for a club-record transfer fee to become FCD's third Designated Player. Considering Velasco’s current ability and immense potential, this is the biggest signing in FC Dallas history.

Looking back, there are two Dallas signings that rival Velasco’s in terms of scope. Mexican star Hugo Sánchez was announced as the club’s first player in 1996 and Brazilian World Cup-winner Denílson joined in 2007. Both situations were very different from Velasco’s. Sánchez and Denílson were in the twilight of their storied careers. They had already reached the sport’s summit and had little else to prove. But at 19, Velasco has the world at his feet. He just needs to take the right steps to get there.

“Alan Velasco is excited. He's thrilled to come to Dallas. This has been the destination of his choosing,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “He had opportunities to go to European clubs. Clubs in England and Spain had shown a lot of interest in him, but he thought this was the next stop in his logical progression to come here and play.”

Velasco’s talent is obvious. He joined Independiente’s first team at 16 and went on to make 71 appearances across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and adding 10 assists. But it’s his playmaking capacity that sets Velasco apart. Blessed with blazing acceleration, a low center of gravity (Velasco is 5’6”) and tight close control, the Buenos Aires native is an outstanding dribbler capable of taking multiple defenders out of the equation. It’s Velasco’s rare game-changing ability that convinced FCD’s decision makers to break the club’s transfer record to bring him in.  

“Andre (Zanotta, FCD Technical Director) was very, very familiar with Velasco and he was a player I had seen and known about,” Hunt explained. “You know, last year, the asking price was $20 million for Alan Velasco. And there were some teams that were sort of sniffing around and COVID change the market a little bit for a lot of teams. But his talent is undeniable, and his passion for the game. So, this is just a big moment for this club to bring in a player like Alan.”

“Alan is a fantastic player with a lot of talent,” said Head Coach Nico Estévez. “He wants to improve and likes the idea of coming here to do that. He feels that this is the right place to become an even better player. He gives us creativity in 1-v-1 situations and an element of unpredictability. He’ll make the fans enjoy the game with one excellent play. But he’s also a hard worker, he wants to improve and wants to help the team. He’s very mature for his age and I think he’s the right fit for our style of play. I think the fans will love the way he plays and I believe he’ll make a big impact in this league.”

The prospect of an attacking trident comprising Velasco, new winger Paul Arriola and Homegrown Designated Player Jesús Ferreira is enough to rejuvenate the FC Dallas fan base after a difficult 2021. It’s been an offseason of change, optimism and now a healthy sense of expectation. Securing Alan Velasco’s signature might be the high mark of all of it.

“Alan Velasco is probably the biggest signing in the history of the club,” Hunt said. “Financially, it’s definitely the biggest. I would also say the re-signing of Jesús Ferreira is also one of the biggest signings in club history. We're committing dollars to keep players here in Dallas that are stars that want to be here and play for FC Dallas.”