Monterey Bay FC loans young forward Anisse Saidi from San Diego FC

Monterey Bay FC did not wait long to put Anisse Saidi to work. The young forward arrived on loan from San Diego FC and was available right away for the trip to FC Tulsa, where he made his debut in the 77th minute of a 2-0 defeat and immediately got after Tulsa’s back line with pressure.

That is the point of this move: Monterey Bay needed another forward who could change the tempo, not just fill a seat on the bench. Saidi brings speed, length and the kind of direct running that can force defenders to retreat, which matters for a club trying to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. In a league where late-game energy can decide results, Monterey Bay just added a player who can press from the front, chase loose balls and give the attack a different look when matches open up.

The profile is striking because of how quickly it has escalated. Saidi came through the Philadelphia Union Academy, logged one appearance for Philadelphia Union II in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season and then moved to San Diego FC in 2025 after the club acquired his Homegrown Priority. He made his MLS debut against Austin FC on March 23, 2025, picked up his first MLS assist against FC Cincinnati on May 16, and had already made four appearances in all competitions for San Diego this season, all as a substitute.

That background helps explain why Monterey Bay was willing to move now. Saidi is not a finished product, but he has already been exposed to the speed of the top division, and he has done it at an age when most players are still finding their footing in academy soccer. San Diego FC lists him as a Homegrown forward born June 20, 2008, in Camden, New Jersey, at 6-foot-1 and 148 pounds. USL Championship’s transaction tracker also identifies him as a 17-year-old Tunisian youth international who entered the professional ranks with San Diego FC in 2025.

For Monterey Bay, the value goes beyond depth. Saidi gives the club another option to stretch the field, attack tired defenders and press from the front late in matches, and he can do it without a long ramp-up. If he settles quickly, this loan could matter well beyond June: it could give Monterey Bay another way to change games in the second half of 2026, not just another name on the roster.