Who is Noah Ohio?
The Seattle Sounders have shown interest in Dutch U21 player, Noah Ohio, out of FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie. According to Niko Moreno, the Sounders had already submitted a bid for him, but as far as I know, the fee was not known. I was informed by sources close to Utrecht themselves that Sounders' initial bid was rejected and that Noah Ohio has no interest in leaving the club. He wants to stay and fight for the starting number nine spot. I was also told that FC Utrecht would start listening to offers of $1o million. That was very much INCORRECT, and Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder at Heart pointed that out. Thank you, JO. I was able to confirm that FC Utrecht would most likely accept an offer around $5 million, but that $10 million was obviously a joke that I missed and my dumbass posted it as fact, and now here we are.
You live and you learn. Regardless of my stupidity, the fact remains that Noah Ohio does not want to leave FC Utrecht, and it would take a lot of convincing to bring him to Seattle.
Now that all that is over, who is Noah Ohio, and how does he play? Thanks to my good friend Marc Lamberts, I got a report on how he plays and what he brings to the table.
Let's dive in.
Who is he?
Noah Ohio is a Dutch U21 international striker who’s bounced around a fair bit throughout his young career. The former Manchester City Academy product currently plays for Eredivisie side FC Utrecht, having moved from Standard Liege last summer for a fee just north of $1 million after just a year and a half in Belgium. During his time there, he scored five goals in 29 appearances during the 2022/23 season and added one goal in 16 appearances during the first half of the 2023/24 season before joining Hull City on loan in January 2024.
Ohio made 23 appearances for Utrecht in the Eredivisie last season, but played only 666 minutes during which he recorded five goals and zero assists. During this summer’s U21 Euros, Noah Ohio was a standout performer with his box play and the number of shots he could get on frame, despite playing only 177 minutes. His one goal came off the bench in a loss to an England U21 side that boasts names like Harvey Elliot, Archie Grey, and Ethan Nwaneri. There were rumors that Ajax, PSV, and a few other European teams, along with the Sounders, inquired about Ohio. Transfermarkt estimates his market value to be just below $2 million, but given his potential and FC Utrecht's high regard for him, he would likely command a significantly higher fee. It's nowhere near $10 million, like some idiot initially reported (me, I'm the idiot), but it's definitely more than his market value.
How does he play?
Noah Ohio can be an all-around striker, but his play in the box suggests he is better suited as a target man or a classic poacher. This is not too dissimilar to how Sam Surridge has played for Nashville SC. Ohio is 6'2 " and has a larger frame than the last few strikers the Sounders have had on the roster (miss you, Will Bruin!).
His play in the box is what makes him stand out the most. Noah Ohio does a good job at not only getting into good attacking positions in the box, but he’s able to convert his touches into chances. While they may not always be on frame, he’s still getting himself into good spots, which you love seeing with a young striker.
The only issue I can see with Noah Ohio is his work rate. He’s no Mario Balotelli, but if he’s the only one leading the line, his pressing should be much better for his age. His transition from attack to defense when the team loses the ball is too slow and tends to leave them in vulnerable situations. Unlike Jordan Morris, he’s not going to be a guy who gets in behind and stretches the defense. He’s not the fastest of the bunch, but Noah Ohio could still bring a lot of quality in the box and would have plenty of chances to create chances, especially with how often the Sounders get the ball in the box.
Realistically, can they bring him in?
As I said earlier in the article, if the Sounders send in another offer—and my source tells me they have put in a pretty decent bid for him—FC Utrecht is willing to accept it. However, the biggest issue is convincing the player of the project and getting him to say yes.
Just because I really want to drive this home, last I was told, he has absolutely no desire to come to MLS and intends to continue to fight to be the starting number nine at Utrecht. And to be honest, why would he? He is fighting to start for an Eredivisie top-flight side, he will be playing in the UEFA Europa League, and depending on how the Dutch view MLS, he could lose his chance at playing for the senior national team.
I would love to have a player with potential and quality, but it would take a lot of convincing to get Noah Ohio on this team. This quote, when he’s asked about the transfer rumors, also says a lot and confirms my reporting as well:
"I read it too. I don't know much about it. Nobody talked to me. "I came to the club and was told: 'You can't go anywhere. ‘ So I don't think it's true."I want to be a key player at FC Utrecht this season.”
