San Jose Earthquakes general manager Chris Leitch has stated that defender Jonathan Mensah will strengthen the club's defense and also help them compete at the highest level in the MLS.
The San Jose Earthquakes signed Jonathan Mensah from the Columbus Crew in exchange for $100k of General Allocation Money (GAM) in 2023 and $100k of GAM in 2024. The Quakes will also pay Columbus $150k of GAM in 2024 if Mensah is on San Jose’s roster after the 2024 Roster Compliance Date, and $150k of GAM in 2025 if Mensah is on San Jose’s roster after the 2025 Roster Compliance Date.
Mensah competed with the Columbus Crew over the past six years, guiding the team to three playoff appearances, an MLS Cup victory in 2020, and the Campeones Cup victory in 2021. Mensah played 159 times for Columbus during the regular season, recording seven goals and three assists. He also made 16 appearances in other leagues, including the Concacaf Champions League and the MLS Cup Playoffs, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
“Nathan’s unfortunate injury left a significant hole at a precarious time in our preseason that we didn’t hesitate to address quickly,” said Earthquakes General Manager Chris Leitch.
“We knew we needed to bring in a player of significant quality and experience to compete at the highest level in MLS. We feel very fortunate and excited to bring in Jonathan, who has been named MLS Best XI, has captained an MLS Cup-winning side, and who knows what it takes to perform and be a leader for a competitive team in MLS,"
"His leadership and success in Major League Soccer will be invaluable to our squad as we approach the 2023 regular season and his qualities as a human being will positively impact our organization and community,”