Applied for visa
Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC are in the final stages of signing Colombian striker Cristian Arango from Colombian side Millonarios FC. Colombian journalist Diego Rueda and Caracol Radio reported that the deal was in the final stages and that the transfer could be made official in the next few hours. Sources have pointed out that Arango has already applied for a US visa.
This article originally appeared on Jul. 20 and has been updated.
Arango was signed by Benfica in 2017 but has never played for the club after being loaned out to multiple clubs. Officially, he is now on loan at Millonarios but the ownership model appears to be complex. According to some media reports, LAFC are expected to pay in the region of $2.5 million for the player.
Update Jul. 20: LAFC head coach Bob Bradley has confirmed that the club is keeping a close eye on the forward. “A player we know really well,” Bradley said during the club’s media availability on Tuesday (cited via Yahoo Sports journalist Andy Deossa) “We’ll see how that goes. I don’t have a timetable. We’ll see how the rest of the details are put together.”
Bob Bradley on reports of #LAFC signing Colombian forward Cristian “Chicho” Arango: A player we know really well. We’ll see how that goes.
— Andy Deossa (@Andy_Deossa) July 20, 2021
Although officially on loan, Millonarios have an option to make the deal from Benfica permanent. According to Transfermarkt.co, the Colombian club own 40% of the player’s rights, Benfica will receive 50% and 10% will go to Arango’s academy club Envigado. The entire package will make Arango one of the ten most expensive signings in LAFC’s club history.
