Liga MX side Chivas have reached a deal with the San Jose Earthquakes for United States winger Cade Cowell, sources have told ESPN MX.
According to multiple reports, Chivas will pay the MLS side $4 million for the 20-year-old Mexican-American.
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Born in California, Cowell recently gained eligibility for Chivas, who only have domestic players on its roster, after receiving his Mexican passport in early January.
Despite the club's traditional stance on its roster construction, Chivas has had a number of dual-nationals over the years and also relaxed rules regarding players needing to commit to the Mexico national team. Former striker Santiago Ormeño represented Peru at the international level in 2022 while under contract with Chivas.
Cowell, who was eligible to represent Mexico, selected the U.S. and debuted with the senior national team in December of 2021. Since then, the forward has earned eight appearances and one goal at the international level. Cowell's younger brother Chance has spent time in the youth national team setups of both the U.S. and Mexico.
A member of the 2021 MLS All-Star team, Cowell collected 10 goals since his 2020 debut with San Jose, where he was made 114 appearances.
Chivas is also nearing a move for the return of Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer Javier Hernandez. Sources told ESPN's Sergio Dipp last week that the LA Galaxy striker had given the green light for negotiations to begin for a possible contract.
In the previous 2023 Apertura tournament, Chivas finished fifth in the regular season and were subsequently knocked out in the playoff at the quarterfinal stage. The club mutually parted ways with manager Veljko Paunovic in December and replaced him with former Boca Juniors and Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago.
Chivas begins the 2024 Clausura season with a home opener against Santos Laguna on Jan. 13.