Houston Dynamo FC exercised the purchase option for FW Nelson Quiñónes after signing the Colombian to year-long loan from Once Caldas S.A. in July 2022. The 20-year-old also signed a contract through the 2025 season plus a club option for 2026.
“We are excited to find a solution that allows Nelson to remain in Houston and continue contributing to the club’s resurgence this season,” said Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad. “We are grateful to our ownership for continuing to provide resources to attract and retain young talents who improve our team and possess the potential to play at the highest levels in the game. Credit to our coaching staff for guiding his development at the club and credit to Nelson for embracing this opportunity to advance his career and contribute to the Dynamo moving forward. He has made great strides over the summer and we look forward to see what his ceiling will be as a player.”
The 20-year-old is the fifth player the club has signed for a seven-figure transfer fee since the arrival of Ted Segal as the majority owner of Houston Dynamo Football Club in June 2021. The list includes Designated Players Teenage Hadebe and Sebas Ferreira, plus midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla and forward Aliyu Ibrahim. Four of the five players listed are currently younger than 25 and both Quiñónes and Ibrahim are younger than 22. Quiñónes will occupy one of the two U-22 Initiative Slots for the Dynamo, leaving one slot open for future use.
Quiñónes has contributed to the club’s resurgence in 2023. The Dynamo currently sit in a Western Conference playoff position and will host Real Salt Lake in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Aug. 23. The 20-year-old made his Dynamo and MLS debut on August 27, 2022, as a substitute on the road against Minnesota United FC and appeared in eight matches in his first season with the club. The speedy winger has appeared in 20 matches this year, scoring his first league goal in a 4-0 win over LAFC at Shell Energy Stadium on June 10, followed by his first assist for Houston in a 4-1 home victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on June 21. Quiñónes scored his debut goal for the Dynamo in a 4-1 victory at Chicago Fire FC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on June 6.
The forward joined the Dynamo in 2022 after two seasons in his native Colombia with Once Caldas. The winger earned 31 appearances for the club after he graduated from the club’s academy system. He made his debut as an 18-year-old coming off the bench on July 25, 2021, against Jaguares FC. The winger scored and finished with an assist in Once Caldas’ 2-1 victory over Envigado FC on Nov. 16, 2021.
Transaction: Houston Dynamo FC exercised the purchase option for FW Nelson Quiñónes after signing the Colombian to year-long loan from Once Caldas S.A. in July 2022. Quiñónes signed a contract through the 2025 season with a club option for 2026.
