Alan Pulido Excited for New Challenge in MLS With Sporting KC

In a conference call alongside his new manager Peter Vermes, Sporting KC's record signing talked to the media and described how the club's overall strategy and vision sold him on coming to MLS.

A day after the club announced his signing - a reported figure of $9.5 million from Chivas Guadalajara - Alan Pulido, alongside his new manager Peter Vermes, expressed his excitement on joining Sporting KC and the new challenge in joining MLS.  

"The truth is that the club's strategy and development structure convinced me to come here," says Pulido. "The fact that they want to shine gave me reason to come to this great club."

Pulido knows too well about winning league titles as the Mexican won in Greece with Olimpiacos as well as trophies with Chivas and his first club Tigres. Last year, he helped Chivas win the Concacaf Champions League title, which was the club’s first continental championship in 56 years. The challenge now is to help a side who ended 11th in the Western Conference last season, but the striker is up for the challenge. 

"I achieved all my goals with Chivas, and I'm the type of player who is always looking for new challenges and that's what I see with Sporting KC, a new challenge personally and professionally. As soon as Kansas City said they wanted me, that was my motivation to end well in scoring, to lead the scoring charts," says Pulido, who ended Liga MX's Apertura regular season with 12 goals. 

"It's an exciting time [in the league] and to be able to bring in a player of the kind of quality as Alan into not only the league but more importantly Sporting Kansas City, I think it's a huge step for us and the league, because it continues to grow," says Vermes, who also expressed his excitement on working with him in training.

"I think he brings his own style. I think the things I'm very attracted to as a coach is - obviously the first thing is he can score goals, and that's the position he will play as No. 9 but more importantly he has an incredible presence, he's good with both his left and right foot, he's good in the air with his head, a very strong and competitive player and I think coming to MLS and the Mexican league is this way," adds Vermes. "The Mexican league is a very tough league to play in, a very tough league, and he's always found a way to be dangerous. No matter what team he's playing on."

Pulido arrives to Kansas City in January and the hope for all Sporting KC fans is that he acclimates early to his new surroundings. With a new star No. 9 and a sense of optimism for 2020, this team, and Pulido, now have hefty expectations for the season.