TOLUCA, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 03: Alan Pulido #9 of Chivas celebrates after scoring the second goal of his team during the 17th round match between Toluca and Chivas as part of the Torneo Apertura 2019 Liga MX at Nemesio Diez Stadium on November 3, 2019 in Toluca, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Sporting KC finally did what no one expected: they spent lavishly on a proven star, Liga MX Golden Boot winner, Alan Pulido. But that does not remove the risk from the equation. SKC are still banking on results, which is inherently uncertain.

You would be forgiven for not believing the initial reports that Liga MX Golden Boot winner Alan Pulido was on his way to Sporting Kansas City. History has taught anyone who even vaguely follows Major League Soccer that this is not a very Sporting KC signing.

And then it was made official. Sporting KC were indeed signing a genuine Mexican star, a proven goalscorer, a bonafide Designated Player for a club-record fee, potentially as high as $9.5 million, though there have been some conflicting reports on this.

Head coach Peter Vermes did promise an ‘injection of capital’ earlier in the offseason, the club recognising that they had fallen behind in the modern MLS arms race. And so it has played out, Pulido arriving in a blockbuster deal that now provides SKC with a striker of genuine MLS-leading quality.

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And in an official statement, Vermes was keen to highlight just how excited he and the club are to welcome Pulido to Children’s Mercy Park:

“We are very excited to add Alan Pulido to our roster ahead of the new season. He is a winner, has a terrific work rate and embodies all of the attributes we value at our club. We also want to thank Chivas for being an incredibly professional partner and appreciate the relationship we have created with them. Alan is ready for this new challenge and looks forward to getting started with us on the field in January.”

But while Pulido is a more established and expensive signing than the ones Sporting KC have been known to make under Vermes, that does not mean he comes without risk.

Pulido may have been Liga MX’s Golden Boot winner last season with 12 goals from 18 games, but this has been an anomaly for his career. He only has 22 goals across the previous Liga MX seasons, not exactly the type of production that you expect from one of the highest-paid and expensive signings in MLS history.

And at 28 years of age, this is Vermes investing in winning. There is little to no re-sale value. Pulido must arrive in Kansas City and perform and produce from day one as a bonafide MLS star, and while last season was the best of his career and proof that he can score goals at a prolific rate in a higher-level league, his entire career suggests that he might not be able to.

There are also other concerns to be wary of. Why did the San Jose Earthquakes pull out of a possible deal as the price rose? Matias Almeyda wants and a centre-forward, has worked with Pulido in the past, and a Mexican in San Jose would be a commercial hit. If anyone knows that Pulido is not worth what Sporting KC paid, it would be Almeyda.

He also does not possess an elite skill set. Where Josef Martinez is exceptionally quick and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was dominant in the air and technically superior, Pulido is a more rounded striker. That is not necessarily a problem, but if it comes to dominating lesser defenders, there is a question of where he will be able to do so.

Pulido is obviously a positive signing for Sporting KC, and supporters should be exceptionally excited about his arrival. But just because they have signed a proven player does not mean he arrives without risk. Pulido’s transfer requires Vermes to win, and in MLS, that is never certain.