Lutz Pfannenstiel has been a busy man.
Since the summer transfer window opened earlier this month, the St. Louis CITY SC sporting director has been in constant communication with clubs around the world. The fruits of his labor are beginning to show.
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Last week, CITY announced its acquisition of winger Nökkvi Thórisson from Belgium Club Beerschot V.A. Pfannenstiel’s interest in Thórisson predates the start of the current transfer period. The 23-year-old Iceland native feels like the prototypical player for Pfannenstiel, who has already squeezed so much value from unheralded players who fit CITY’s patented style of play.
Getting him, though, took some work. After reportedly haggling over two very different valuations of the young winger, CITY and Beerschot agreed to a transfer fee just shy of €600,000, according to Transfermarkt’s Manuel Veth. That’s substantially lower than the original €1 million valuation originally made by the Belgian side, per reports. Thórisson is signed through 2025, with an option for 2026.
He’s a young, dynamic winger who initially popped onto Pfannenstiel’s radar after scoring 17 goals in 20 matches during the 2022 Besta deild season, winning the Icelandic top division’s Golden Boot. It’s not just Thórisson’s scoring ability that CITY covets. It’s his size. At 6-foot-2, Thórisson’s physical traits offer a change in profile from St. Louis’ current crop of wingers. He’ll likely play a key role on set pieces, where the club is already excelling.
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Thórisson, who earned his first call up to the Iceland Men’s National Team earlier this year, has shown he can be effective on the counter attack, and in one-on-one situations. Altogether, he appears to be a player poised to continue raising his profile.
“We are very excited to bring an Icelandic national team player to St. Louis,” Pfannenstiel said after completing the transfer. “Nökkvi is an all-around attacker who will be helpful for our squad. We’re looking forward to welcoming Nokkvi into the team as soon as possible, seeing him contribute during our last stretch of matches this season, and helping him develop and reach his full potential over the coming years.”
Thórisson’s impact on the 2023 MLS season may not be felt immediately. He still needs to acquire his work visa before he can start training with CITY, which has already dealt with hiccups stemming from that process. South African midfielder Njabulo Blom, who was acquired by St. Louis in late December, was not able to join his new team until late January while he awaited visa approval.
Immigration issues or not, don’t count on seeing Thórisson immediately. His last season with Beerschot ended in May, and he’s spent recent weeks in preseason training. He’ll need some time to ramp up. The good news is that CITY’s MLS portion of the schedule doesn’t resume until August 20 against Austin FC.
“I’m really happy to join CITY SC and help the team continue their current success,” Thórisson said on social media over the weekend.
Pfannenstiel wasn’t looking for just anyone to join his roster for the stretch run. He was looking for the right fit, both in terms of on-field play and personality. In Thórisson, he believes he found a player who checks both boxes.
