FC Dallas has acquired forward Jesús Jiménez and a 2023 international roster spot from Toronto FC in exchange for midfielder Brandon Servania.
Quite interestingly, Toronto FC will retain a portion of Jiménez’s salary budget charge. Jiménez will occupy an international roster spot.
The 29-year-old Jiménez scored nine goals with three assists in 33 MLS regular season appearances in 2022. Prior to joining Toronto, Jiménez spent four seasons with the Polish first-division side Górnik Zabrze. Jiménez appeared in 134 matches, scored 43 goals, and recorded 26 assists in all competitions (Ekstraklasa, Polish Cup, and Europa League) for Górnik.
“We’re excited to bring Jesús Jiménez to the group,” said FC Dallas Technical Director André Zanotta. “We wanted to bring another attacking option to the roster. Jesús is an experienced player with a proven goal-scoring record in the league and we felt like he would complement our group really well.”
Servania, 23, signed with FC Dallas as the 19th Homegrown in club history on Jan. 3, 2018, appearing in 74 appearances across all competitions and recording five goals and seven assists.
“We love Brandon, his personality, the way he plays, and everything he’s done for the club throughout the years after coming to Academy and reaching the first team,” said FC Dallas head coach Nico Estévez. “We wish him all the best.”
Servania joined the FC Dallas Academy in 2015 and was a member of the U-16 team that brought home the 2016 U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championship and the U-18 team that captured the club’s first Gordon Jago Dallas Cup Super Group title in 2017.
Internationally, Servania appeared in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and helped the U.S. reach the quarterfinals before falling to Ecuador. He made his senior team debut in an international friendly against Costa Rica on Feb. 1, 2020.
3rd Degree’s Take
Since the middle of last season – roughly timed with the emergence of Tsiki Ntsabeleng – We’ve been mentioning Brandon Servania‘s trade-ability. Domestic status, upside, youth international background, and not-outlandish salary give Servania a lot of market value. The second half of the season acquisition of Sebastian Lletget shifted Paxton Pomykal to the more linking role in midfield and all but permanently moved Servania to the bench.
There have been stretches of outstanding play by Servania over the years but he never put all the pieces together for a complete season. The continued FCD need for a nine led to their interest in Spanish striker Jiménez. Jiménez is a great fit for Coach Estevez and the current FCD style of play.
Combine the international spot and Toronto FC’s willingness to pay part of Jiménez’s salary cap hit (base $815k in 2022) and it’s easy to see why FCD pulled the trigger. It remains to be seen how FCD will use both Jesus Ferreira and Jiménez.
“Last year we learned that playing with two forwards can be good for us,” Nico Estévez told Garrett Melcer of FCDallas.com. “That’s something that we can apply more often this year. They both understand that system and can play together. Jesús Jiménez has similar qualities (to Ferreira) and can drop deeper to get the balI while Jesús (Ferreira) stays higher. It could be more like two forwards rather than a #10 and one forward.”
Thus ends the dream of a triple homegrown midfield of Paxton Pomykal, Brandon Servania, and Edwin Cerrillo running MLS.
Full Name: Jesús Jiménez
Connect with Jesús: Instagram
Position: Forward
Date of Birth: November 5, 1993 (29)
Hometown: Leganés, Spain
Birthplace: Leganés, Spain
Height: 6-0
Weight: 176 lbs
Nationality: Spain
I like it for both sides. Smart business for dallas, good for Brandon to learn from a couple of midfield vets.
Like the move. We needed another forward. Does this move eat up our available international slots? If so, does that mean there won’t be any big DP moves this summer?
Still have one open Int spot and one open DP. So they are set up to do something big if they want this summer.
So does this mean that the Brazilian Center Back rumor is true? U-22 Initiative Signing since he’s only 21 years old I think. I’m not clear on the league rules when it comes to U-22? Isn’t it if you only have two DP’s you can have 4 U-22 Initiative players?
The Brazilian CB, Henri, is for North Texas SC. He’s already here in town.
Hmmm…How old was Jara when we got him?
32.
Also, Jimenez doesn’t have a $3 mil per year salary.