On 17 October 2008, the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" reported that Ljungberg might be a part of the new Major League Soccer franchise Seattle Sounders. On 28 October 2008, Seattle Sounders officially announced they had signed Ljungberg as their designated player for the 2009 season. The terms of his contract saw Ljungberg earn $10 million over two seasons with the Sounders. Much like the contract of David Beckham and as is the norm for professional sports stars in the US, Ljungberg's contract assured that he kept all of the money derived from his private endorsements. Because of this, Grahame L. Jones of the "Los Angeles Times" was quick to compare Ljungberg with Beckham. Alexi Lalas stated: "Eddie Vedder, I think, would have a better chance of making an impact at Seattle than Freddie Ljungberg". However, after the 2009 regular season Lalas acknowledged his initial skepticism but admitted he had changed his mind. "For me he's the best DP signing, because of the way he plays in MLS."