Houston Dynamo FC exercised contract options for 10 players following the 2020 MLS regular season, the Club announced today. The Dynamo have an additional 11 players under contract and enter the offseason with 22 players under contract after restructuring terms with an international player.
Houston exercised 2021 contract options on midfielder Darwin Cerén, defender Alejandro Fuenmayor, defender Sam Junqua, forward and Academy product Nico Lemoine, defender Adam Lundkvist, Homegrown defender Erik McCue, goalkeeper Michael Nelson, Homegrown midfielder Marcelo Palomino and midfielder Matías Vera. Additionally, the Club exercised the purchase option on forward Ariel Lassiter from LD Alajuelense in Costa Rica.
The Club declined the 2021 contract options for the following players: defender Kyle Adams, defender Víctor Cabrera, goalkeeper Cody Cropper, midfielder Tomás Martínez, forward Ronaldo Peña, forward Michael Salazar and midfielder Wilfried Zahibo. The Dynamo and defender José Bizama agreed to a restructured contract and the Chilean defender will return for the 2021 season.
Defender Maynor Figueroa, midfielder Boniek García and forward Niko Hansen are out of contract. A bona fide offer was extended to Hansen, making him ineligible for the MLS re-entry draft.
The Dynamo enter the 2021 offseason with the following players under contract: Mateo Bajamich, Homegrown midfielder Juan Castilla, defender Ian Hoffmann, goalkeeper Marko Marić, forward Mauro Manotas, forward Darwin Quintero, forward Christian Ramirez, Homegrown forward Danny Rios, Academy alum and midfielder Memo Rodriguez, defender Kiki Struna and defender Zarek Valentin.
Six international players will return from the 2020 season and more than half of the players (13) on the current roster are 25 years old or younger, including six Dynamo Academy alums.
Houston’s updated roster can be found below listed alphabetically by position:
Goalkeepers (2): Marko Marić, Michael Nelson
Defenders (8):Jose Bizama, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Ian Hoffmann, Sam Junqua, Adam Lundkvist, Erik McCue, Kiki Struna, Zarek Valentin
Midfielders (5):Juan Castilla, Darwin Cerén, Marcelo Palomino, Memo Rodriguez, Matías Vera
Forwards (7): Mateo Bajamich, Ariel Lassiter, Nico Lemoine, Mauro Manotas, Darwin Quintero, Christian Ramirez, Daniel Rios
