Quakes acquire Kofi Sarkodie from Dynamo

The San Jose Earthquakes acquired defender Kofi Sarkodie Friday from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for targeted allocation money.

For Sarkodie, the acquisition reunites him with Quakes manager Dominic Kinnear, who coached the 25-year-old during his first four seasons in Major League Soccer. Overall, he made 98 appearances for the Dynamo from 2011 through 2015 — Sarkodie appeared in 11 playoff games for Houston, including the 2012 MLS Cup Final.

"He can play in this league," Kinnear said of Sarkodie, whom he selected with the 7th overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.

He played on U.S. national squads from 2006 to 2012, and garnered a reputation for being a versatile player from both ends of the field. Something else Kinnear noted during his comments, which were released through a statement from the team on Friday.

"Kofi is a good professional, works hard and is versatile. He can play either side, right or left. He can spell you in the midfield if you need that too. Good attitude, good person, is going to fit well into the locker room and adds good depth to our squad."

Kinnear said that Sarkodie's addition is meant purely as an attempt to add further depth to an already bolstered roster. "We're not sending any warning shots" at other players, he added.

After appearing in the first 10 contests for the Dynamo last season, but then only appeared in six more games for the remainder of the season. Sarkodie's contract expired at the end of the 2015 season, however, Houston offered him a new contract during the offseason, allowing the club to retain his rights. He was eligible for re-entry draft, but opted out.

He trained in San Jose for the first time Thursday, but it remains unclear as to when Sarkodie will be available to take the pitch for the Quakes for the first time.