LAFC finalizes acquisition of forward Cristian Arango
LAFC has finalized its acquisition of forward Cristian Arango from Colombia’s Millonarios on a reported $2.5-million transfer, said a league official with knowledge of the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly. An official announcement is expected soon, the official said.
Details of Arango’s contract were not released, but it was funded in part with Targeted Allocation Money, meaning Arango’s salary will exceed the maximum budget charge of $612,500.
Arango, 26, scored 22 times in 58 appearances for Bogota-based Millonarios. With LAFC he is expected to play as a center forward between Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi, filling the void created when the team declined a contract option on Bradley Wright Phillips last fall.
The transaction is the third the team has made in the last week, following the trades of midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye and Corey Baird to the Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo, respectively. The trades netted LAFC $1.75 million in general allocation money and a pair of 2022 international roster slots.
The acquisition of Arango is the latest signing engineered by former MLS player Juan Pablo Angel, LAFC’s chief Latin American scout based in Colombia. LAFC has three other Colombians on its roster in Eduard Atuesta, Eddie Segura and Jesús Murrillo.
LAFC (6-5-5) is fifth in the Western Conference standings, but it has struggled offensively, scoring just 22 times in 16 games. It next plays at home Wednesday against second-place Sporting Kansas City.
