LAFC announced today the addition of even more depth in the attack with their newest signing. The team has signed UD Almeria forward, Cristian Olivera, to a four-year contract, with a club option through 2027. LAFC acquired Olivera’s Discovery Priority from Minnesota United in exchange for $175,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM). Olivera will join LAFC as a part of Major League Soccer’s U22 Initiative and will occupy an international roster spot pending receipt of his international Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P1 Visa.
Bienvenido al Barrio Angelino, Cristian. 🇺🇾#LAFC pic.twitter.com/ZGrWPSFt54
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 4, 2023
The deal was made before the close of the transfer window, but the team decided to kick off the weekend with the announcement this morning. “Cristian is a dynamic young player with fantastic attacking qualities that will fit well within our group and excite our supporters,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome Cristian and his family to LAFC and know that he will help achieve our ongoing ambition of winning more trophies.”
A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Olivera played the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Boston River of the top division in Uruguay on loan from Almeria. In that time, he made a total of 32 appearances (30 starts) for Boston River, scoring nine goals in 2,638 minutes. Olivera appeared in three matches for Boston River in the 2023 Copa Libertadores, registering an assist vs. Zamora FC on Feb. 10, 2023. Olivera has played at the U-16, U-17 and U-20 youth levels for the Uruguayan National Team, registering four goals in 19 appearances across all competitions.
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