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MLS Los Angeles FC

LAFC Acquires Cengiz Ünder on Loan from Turkish Club Fenerbahçe

February 20, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release


LAFC today announced that the club has acquired attacker Cengiz Ünder as a Designated Player on loan from Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe through June 30 with an option to purchase. Ünder will occupy an international roster slot and be added to the roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P1 Visa.

"Cengiz is a top-quality player with experience at the highest levels of international competition," LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. "He has proven himself in some of the best leagues in the world and his attacking abilities will contribute to our success in 2025."

Ünder, 27, joins LAFC after a season and a half with Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe where he helped guide the team to a second-place finish in the 2023-24 season and qualify for the Turkish Super Cup. The Turkish international has played with Italian giants AS Roma as well as Leicester City of the English Premier League.

"I look forward to playing in front of the Los Angeles fans and representing the inclusive culture of the club," Ünder said. "I know that L.A. is home to many ethnicities and that LAFC has a multicultural fan base, including many Armenians. I am a professional who enjoys the game of football and believes in its unifying power; I have played in England, Italy and France and have shared my joys and sorrows with teammates, fans, and other community members of many different ethnicities, which I will continue to do in L.A. I know that our fans are aware of the unifying power of sports, and I hope we can embrace each other."

Ünder recorded nine goals and three assists in his time with Fenerbahçe - all in league play where he made 27 appearances (14 starts). Overall, he made 42 appearances (20 starts) for the 28-time Turkish champions across all competitions, including starts in the UEFA Europa and Conference Leagues and Turkish Cup.

Ünder began his career in his home country with Altinordu in 2014 and then Başakşehir where he enjoyed a breakout season in 2016-17, recording nine goals and seven assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.

His performances caught the eye of Italian giants Roma for whom he would make a total of 88 appearances over three years, scoring 17 goals and registering 12 assists across all competitions.

Ünder was loaned to Leicester City for the 2020-21 season where he made 19 appearances across the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League competitions, tallying two goals and three assists. He spent the next season on loan with Marseille and ultimately signed permanently with the French Ligue 1 club for the 2022-23 season, where he made a total of 93 appearances, recording 18 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.

On the international stage, Ünder has represented Türkiye more than 50 times at the senior level and has also seen action at the U-18, U-19 and U-21 level.

Name: Cengiz Ünder

Position: Attacker

Age: 27

Height: 5'8"

Birthplace: Sındırgı, Türkiye

Citizenship: Türkiye

Last Club: Fenerbahçe (Turkish Süper Lig)

TRANSACTION: LAFC acquires midfielder Cengiz Ünder as a Designated Player on loan from Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe through June 30 with an option to purchase.

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