Jürgen Locadia: 'I appreciate being here' at FC Cincinnati

Jürgen Locadia is officially an FC Cincinnati player.

After arriving to the Greater Cincinnati region Sunday, the 26-year-old center forward's transfer to Major League Soccer and FC Cincinnati from Brighton and Hove Albion of the English Premier League was finalized Monday, the team announced.

In Locadia, FC Cincinnati brings on a player hardened by Europe's biggest leagues. He's scored 52 combined goals in 172 combined league appearances across the Premier League, Bundesliga (Germany) and Eredivisie (Holland).

The deal for Locadia, who takes the mantle of one of the biggest signings in FC Cincinnati's short history, begins as a five-month loan spell followed by an option to purchase him from Brighton for two and a half years, the team announced.

It all came together quickly, Locadia explained Monday in an exclusive interview with The Enquirer.

“My agent called me about a week ago. It wasn’t serious at that time and, I think, three days ago he called me and said, ‘there’s an opportunity. Are you interested?’ And now I’m here," Locadia said. "I’ve been here often. Not in Ohio, though. I’ve been in L.A. and New York and I really like the vibe here and the people in America, so my decision was quite simple to me.”

Locadia, of the Netherlands, said he was also enticed by Cincinnati head coach and fellow countryman Ron Jans' tactical style and the club's renowned supporters.

“Good people here. I had a warm welcome also with the fans," Locadia said. "I appreciate being here and that the people are happy.”

Whether or not Locadia extends his stay at FC Cincinnati will depend on several variables.

“I think the main thing for me is playing games. Like, play all the games, but obviously it’s my thing also. I need to show the coach that I want to play and be important for the team," Locadia said. "Beside that, scoring goals and I think I will like it here, of course, because I’ve been in the United States often. Depends on the league also. Like, the level of the league.”

Locadia was ready for a change after what he described as inconsistent playing time at his most recent club, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim of the Bundesliga, where he played on loan from Brighton.

Locadia acknowledged his record at Hoffenheim was good – four goals in 11 appearances – but not nearly good enough to satisfy his desire for a bigger role in the team.

"It wasn't, like, consistently playing games, so I want it to be more stable and be more important for the team and score goals," Locadia said. "I want to play all the games and not, like, start five games and go back on the bench again."

What, exactly, satisfies Locadia is still to be determined, but it's probably more than his output was in Germany.

"Thirty goals, I don't know," he said, laughing.

Locadia's road to Cincinnati

The Locadia of today stands in stark contrast to who he was as a person and a player just a few years ago.

Prior to becoming Brighton's record signing in 2018 and his time in the Premier League and Bundesliga, two of the top competitions in the world, Locadia's maturity had been called into question at PSV Eindhoven.

He tallied 45 goals and 34 assists in 127 appearances for Eindhoven from 2011-2017, but struggled emotionally.

"I changed a lot, though, during the journey. I don’t want to say (I was) a rebel when I was younger, but like, different, so I’m more calm right now," Locadia said. "I was younger and I wasn’t playing all the games and I want to play all the games. I did some crazy things at that time… The thing that happened was that I didn’t show up at training when I was in Holland. I didn’t show up anymore. Caused a lot of problems, of course, but I learned from it."

Despite struggles away from the game, Locadia had proved himself worthy of the Premier League by that point and, in 2018, signed with Brighton, where he scored on his debut appearance against Coventry City in the FA Cup.

But it wasn't long before Locadia found himself on the bench again, although his reaction showed noticeable improvement in his demeanor.

"I was angry at the time but not like when I was younger, of course," Locadia said.

His final shift in Europe prior to departing the continent for FC Cincinnati was at Hoffenheim during the current season, where Locadia said he gained experience that only one of the top leagues in the world could provide.

Locadia is optimistic his style will translate to MLS, but he conceded he knows nothing about the top flight of the U.S. and Canada.

"I know about the playoffs, though. It’s different than in Europe, but I’m excited to play in the games and hopefully we reach the playoffs here," Locadia said.

At FC Cincinnati, Locadia will be at center stage and likely playing a leading role if all goes to plan.

Part of that expectation is rooted in what's believed to be one of the largest transfer fees paid in FC Cincinnati history, along with the fact that Locadia will occupy one of three designated player spots on the club's roster.

That designation immediately makes him one of the highest paid players in club history.

Locadia's transfer fee and salary weren't disclosed by the club.

The money involved can tend to compound the expectations on a player.

But like most players, Locadia is a sum of his experiences and, based on his path to this point, it seems unlikely he's feeling stress under the weight of expectation at this juncture.

"To be honest, I don't feel pressure," Locadia said. "It's a fun thing, you know, soccer. Football, but you say soccer. I don't make the price, you know? Wherever I'm from pays the price to Brighton. It's a thing between the clubs and the managers there, so if I feel the pressure? Nah, not really. I want to perform. I want to show my class and score goals but about the price and the business side, I don't care about because it's not mine to care about.

"(Gerard Nijkamp) said that the team is new in the MLS. Like, second season in MLS. So, it’s new for the team, for the people in the club and for the fans also. He talked to me about the project and the new stadium and stuff, so, I just want to be a part of a new team, basically, and build it from the jump."