TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Extension
Orlando City SC have signed defender Rodrigo Schlegel to a new contract through the 2024 MLS season with options for 2025 and 2026, the club announced Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Argentine center back first joined Orlando before the 2020 campaign on loan from Racing Club in the Argentine Primera División. He signed a permanent deal with the Lions before the following season.
Schlegel has made 72 appearances (52 starts) across all competitions for Orlando, most recently helping them to a club-record 10 shutouts in 2022.
“Rodrigo has continually proven himself an invaluable member of our club, both on the field and off,” Luiz Muzzi, Orlando’s EVP of soccer operations and general manager, said in a release.
“He’s engrained himself into our team from the very beginning of his time with us with an incredible work ethic and dedication to achieving the team’s goals. He’s been a vital part of our culture and project here in Orlando and we’re so happy to have him here for the years to come.”
Schlegel, alongside Antônio Carlos and Robin Jansson, is part of Orlando’s central defensive core. They’re flanked of an otherwise heavily-changed roster, headlined by the offseason signing of DP winger Martín Ojeda.
Orlando have also re-signed starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese this offseason, further solidifying their defensive unit as they aim to improve on last year's US Open Cup-winning season that ended with a Round One Audi MLS Cup Playoffs loss to CF Montréal.
The Lions return to action when hosting perennial Eastern Conference playoff participants New York Red Bulls on Feb. 25 (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
