The Columbus Crew announced Friday that they have acquired Argentine midfielder Lucas Zelarayan from Tigres UANL of Liga MX.
The transfer free, reported to be more than $7 million, is the largest in franchise history.
Zelarayan, 27, joins the Crew as a Designated Player. He is slated to fill the midfield spot of the departed Federico Higuain.
"We are excited to welcome Lucas Zelarayan to Columbus Crew SC," general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement. "Lucas is both an intelligent and skillful player whose ability to score and create goals makes him the type of playmaker we want on our team.'
"He has been a key member of one of the most dominant Liga MX teams in recent years, consistently winning national and international titles with Tigres UANL. We expect Lucas to be both a difference-maker and a leader in our squad."
Zelarayan recorded 23 goals and 14 assists in 139 matches across all competitions in four seasons with Tigres.
