New Austin FC boss opens tenure with flurry of moves

One day after Austin FC hired Khaled El-Ahmad as chief soccer officer and sporting director, the club made multiple moves Wednesday before 9:30 a.m. in Texas. It traded midfielder Owen Wolff to Sporting Kansas City for $4.5 million plus up to $3.1 million in conditional incentives, and retained a sell-on percentage. Austin said discussions began in December about honoring Wolff’s wish to play elsewhere if terms matched his trajectory. Wolff, a 21-year-old who signed as Austin’s first homegrown player in 2021, recorded 10 goals and 23 assists in 147 appearances. Austin also transferred forward Jayden Nelson to England’s Bolton Wanderers for $1.1 million guaranteed, and loaned forward CJ Fodrey to Falkirk FC in Scotland.