Austin has made a move to waive midfielder Ulises Segura. According to an official press release, the club exercised their one offseason buyout of a guaranteed contract on the Costa Rican on January 25.
Segura arrived at the club prior to the 2021 inaugural season via a trade with DC United for General Allocation Money (GAM). His departure comes after a year where he sat out the entire 2021 season due to an early season knee injury leading to surgery.
We use affiliate links to connect you to officially licensed Austin FC fan gear. If you purchase through our links, we earn a commission that will support content like this that we create on the site.
Upon his release, Segura offered a heartfelt letter to fans and friends who supported him. He spoke openly about his injury, recovery, and his future in the sport. Indicating that he was medically cleared in November, Uli fully intends to keep playing professional soccer.
Without Segura on the field in 2021, ATX statistically had one of the best midfields in MLS. The surprise additions of midfielders Ethan Finlay and Jhojan Valencia this offseason may have been the writing on the wall for Segura’s future with the Verde.
On the business side, the waiver gets a base salary of $240K off the books for ATXFC and opens up a precious senior roster spot. With a plethora of midfielders on the roster for 2022, it now frees up cap space for Austin to shore up depth issues in other positions.
As for Segura, he becomes a free agent and can speak with any club interested in him joining on a free transfer.