Sam Vines close to finalizing return to Colorado Rapids, club sources say

After two-and-a-half seasons with Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp F.C., Colorado Springs native Sam Vines is nearing a deal to return to the Colorado Rapids, club sources told The Denver Post.

Over the next 48-72 hours, Vines is expected to fly back to Colorado and complete a medical exam before finalizing the deal, sources said. Upon completion of the deal, Vines will be the third U.S. Men’s National Team player the Rapids have signed in the January transfer window.

The 24-year old left back joined the Rapids Academy at age 13 before signing a Homegrown deal with the club at age 18. Since his MLS debut on Oct. 21, 2018, he’s never looked back.

In MLS, he started 49 of his 53 matches played, tallying two goals and four assists before being transferred to Antwerp early in 2021. His best year in Colorado was 2020, where he scored a goal and assisted three others. That season, he was the only Rapids player to play every single minute.

In February of 2020, Vines became the first Rapids Academy product to start a match for the USMNT in a friendly against Costa Rica, which the U.S. won 1-0. A year later, he became the first Rapids Academy product to be named to the USMNT for a senior international tournament (CONCACAF Gold Cup).