Earthquakes Land German Midfielder in Mid-Season Trade

The San Jose Earthquakes have agreed to a deal to acquire German midfielder Eduard Löwen from St. Louis City, according to sources briefed on the situation. St. Louis will receive $425,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), plus an additional $500,000 GAM in performance-based add-ons, the sources told The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been made public.

Löwen will be classified as a designated player for San Jose for the remainder of this season — a move designed to save allocation money and salary cap space — but his status can be bought down in the future, the sources added. The 29-year-old's current contract is only guaranteed through the end of this season, with a club option for next year.

A Difficult Year for Löwen

Löwen's 2026 campaign did not begin until April due to personal tragedy. His wife passed away from brain cancer, an illness she had battled for the last couple of years. Despite the devastating loss, Löwen has managed to record four goals and two assists in 770 minutes this season.

The midfielder approached St. Louis about his long-term future in the spring, sources said, but management indicated it would not look at options and extensions until after the summer window. Löwen later told the club he wanted them to explore potential long-term destinations on his behalf — a request St. Louis granted out of respect for a player who is well-regarded within the organization and beloved by fans.

Bruce Arena's Reinforcement

Löwen provides a much-needed boost to Bruce Arena's Earthquakes, who have endured a miserable run of form since MLS returned from the World Cup break. San Jose had been among the best teams in the league but are now winless in five matches since the restart, including a defeat to St. Louis in which Löwen started and registered an assist.

The German's arrival will give Timo Werner, Preston Judd, and Niko Tsakiris another high-level option in an attacking unit that has cooled off significantly over the last month.

St. Louis Moves On

While losing a fan favorite is never easy, Löwen's departure opens up crucial salary cap space for St. Louis. The club still holds an open designated player spot and has been targeting a center forward. St. Louis remains active in its pursuit of additional attacking firepower before the window closes.

St. Louis added DP attacker Carlo Holse in late July, while Marcel Hartel departed the club. The team is currently one of the hottest in MLS, unbeaten in 10 matches. It is the first year under head coach Yoann Damet, and the early returns have been overwhelmingly positive.

Löwen's St. Louis Legacy

Löwen joined St. Louis ahead of its debut 2023 MLS season and quickly became a cornerstone of the expansion side. He made 99 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and providing nine assists in 2023 — the year St. Louis defied all expectations by finishing atop the Western Conference in its inaugural campaign.