As first reported by MLSSoccer.com‘s Tom Bogert, Nashville SC has announced a trade for former US International Fafa Picault:
GM Mike Jacobs traded for plenty of GAM (already announced) in the two-day window that ended at noon today, and the Picault signing took place in that window as well. $100k in allocation money for a 31-year old with two USMNT caps (most recently in 2018) is not bad business. The Club release:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 9, 2022) – Nashville Soccer Club announced today the acquisition of winger Fabrice-Jean “Fafà” Picault from Houston Dynamo FC in exchange for $50,000 of 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM), $50,000 of 2024 (GAM) and up to a conditional $150,000 in 2024 GAM if certain performance metrics are achieved.
Picault is coming off a two-year stretch in which the winger ranked seventh among players in his position in Major League Soccer for most combined goals and assists since 2021, recording 18 goals and eight assists across the 2021-22 seasons as a member of the Dynamo. He also ranked fourth in MLS wingers in 2021 with most goals scored.
After spending most of his senior career overseas, Picault joined Major League Soccer in 2017, making 168 MLS regular season appearances and amassing 42 goals and 22 assists.
The speedster had a career-year in his first season in Houston scoring a personal best 11 goals while tying his career-high in assists with five.
Prior to his arrival in MLS, Picault played in Europe from 2014 through 2017. He originally made the move to Czech First-Division AC Sparta Prague and then moved to FC St. Pauli in Germany where he contributed seven goals in 22 appearances.
Combining his MLS and career abroad, Picault has made 274 professional appearances and registered 58 goals and 32 assists in all competitions, including MLS Playoffs.
The trade occurred during the MLS Trade Window in which, following a three-month roster freeze, MLS clubs may begin making adjustments to their rosters and conduct trades with other MLS teams.
Nashville SC release
Picault played the past two years with Houston Dynamo, having previously played for FC Dallas, Philadelphia Union, and a handful of international clubs. Picault was on a $600,000 salary with the Dynamo last season (below the TAM cutoff). He completed the final guaranteed year of his contract in 2022, but the Boys in Gold have the right to pick up his club option – rather than negotiate a free-agent contract – with him, should they choose to pursue that mechanism.
He scored seven goals on 7.44 xG and recorded two assists on 2.74 xA. American Soccer Analysis‘s Goals Added metric graded him out as the Dynamo’s best player with a +6.44 score in 2604 minutes. He notched positive scores in each breakout metric aside from passing – and according to ASA‘s xPass model, his 69.8% pass-completion rate was well below expectation for the difficulty of passes he attempted (expected at 73.7%).
Club and Country 