Sporting Kansas City acquired Brazilian forward Andre Luiz for a franchise-record transfer fee on Tuesday.
The Athletic reported the MLS club paid $18 million up front to Greek club Olympiacos FC in a deal that could be worth up to $22 million if certain performance metrics are met.
It dwarfs the previous club record for Sporting KC, which was the $7.5 million they paid in 2019 to acquire forward Alan Pulido from Mexico’s Chivas.
The 24-year-old Luiz is signed to a five-year contract through the 2030-31 season and will occupy designated player and international roster slots in Kansas City.
Luiz joined Olympiacos in January after starting the 2025-26 season with Portugal’s Rio Ave FC, where he tallied seven goals and six assists.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Andre to Sporting Kansas City,” SKC president of soccer operations and general manager David Lee said. “Andre 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. Andre 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.”
Luiz made a dramatic debut for Olympiacos on Feb. 1, converting a 106th-minute penalty kick to earn a 1-1 draw against rival AEK Athens.
Luiz developed at America Football Club in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro before launching his pro career with the Brazilian side Flamengo in 2021. He played for Portugal’s Estrela da Amadora from 2023-25.
Sporting KC opened a designated player spot on Monday by buying out Spanish midfielder Manu Garcia’s contract.
Garcia, 28, joined the team ahead of the 2025 campaign and recorded four goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions.
–Field Level Media
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