Lions Sign Ecuadorian Midfielder Jhegson Sebastián Méndez

Orlando City SC added youth to its midfield, as the Central Florida side acquired Ecuadorian midfielder Jhegson Sebastián Méndez, the club announced on Dec. 28.

Méndez joins the Lions from Independiente del Valle of Ecuador’s top-tier Serie A. There, he amassed 81 appearances since joining the club in 2015. He made two starts in the defensive midfield in both legs of the 2018 Copa Libertadores.

The 21-year-old also spent time in Spain’s Segunda División B while on loan with Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa from August 2015 to January 2016.

“Sebas is a very exciting, young player who we’ve been following for a while,” new Lions Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi said, per the release. “He adds a level of versatility, athleticism and overall quality to our team. There was a lot of international interest in him, and we are thrilled he chose Orlando and MLS as his next career move.

“Looking forward to integrating him into the roster next season.”

Méndez has also had a productive start to his international career. He made his Ecuadorian men’s national-team debut on Sept. 12 in a 2-0 win over the Guatemalan men’s national team. He recorded 73 minutes as a defensive midfielder. In total, Ecuador is 3-1-1, has recorded three clean sheets and has allowed only four goals with Méndez on the field.

The Lions will look to add other talent to their roster in the upcoming 2019 Major League Soccer SuperDraft on Jan. 11, 2019. City own seven picks: No. 3, No. 27, No. 38, No. 59, No. 75, No. 94 and No. 96.

For more on the Lions, as they continue to shape their roster for the 2019 season, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.