San Diego FC selects UC Santa Barbara midfielder Manu Duah with the first overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft

San Diego FC’s roster building continues with the selection of UC Santa Barbra midfielder Manu Duah first overall in the MLS SuperDraft. As an expansion team that will become the 30th team in the league, San Diego was awarded the first overall pick in the draft, helping to bolster their growing midfield with the Generation Adidas product.

Duah will join Alex Mighten, Anibal Godoy and Jeppe Tverskov as the midfielders currently under contract for Mikey Varas’ team, but with the offseason approaching and even more picks coming into the draft, that will be before San Diego continues to grow. takes the field for the first time versus the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday, February 23.

“Manu fits the profile of the club first and foremost,” said Varas. “He is a very talented young player with great character and value. He is a mix between a ball-playing midfielder and a number six who can help us implement our playing style by taking initiative with the ball, but he also has a huge growth mindset and a winning mentality.”

Last season, Duah started fourteen games and also scored his first college assist. A native of Ghana, he joins Christian Ramirez, Michael Boxtall and Emmanuel Boateng as UCSB players currently playing in Major League soccer. Duah also spent time in MLS Next for the Santa Barbara Soccer Club, helping them reach the MLS Next Cup playoffs in the U19 age group. Duah, who models his game after Sergio Busquets, wants to help his teams control the tempo of the match and he could get a chance to face his idol depending on how the schedule turns out in cup competitions or the play- offs.

It will be a step forward for the 19-year-old coming to Major League Soccer, but this is true San Diego’s Youth-Centered Approach comes in. As part of the Right to Dream network, San Diego FC is all about helping young players with the tools to succeed reach their potential and that’s where Duah is in a great place to thrive.

Varas notes that it’s a step up from college to performing in the professional ranks, but that he won’t “limit anyone’s story.” San Diego’s philosophy is to try to win with young players and by giving them support, and that is exactly what will happen with Duah.

San Diego also increased their spending power by making a trade with Charlotte FC, sending away the ninth overall pick in the draft for the 17th overall pick and $100,000 in general allocation money. That 17th overall pick became another trade that went down in the draft. San Diego collected another $75,000 in GAM and the 24th overall pick by trading with New York City FC.

GAM has many uses such as buying out a player’s limit, including buying a designated player below a certain threshold to free up a slot for a new one. It can be used to buy out a transfer fee, sign homegrown players or be traded to other clubs. With San Diego’s needs in multiple areas of the field, these trades will be important going forward.

First round picks