In the wake of hiring a new head coach, Orlando City adds to their defensive back line with the acquisition of José Aja, the club announced Thursday. According to a report by the Orlando Sentinel‘s Alicia DelGallo, the club will have Aja on loan for the next six months with the option to buy.
Per DelGallo, Aja has been training with the team since early July. He is on loan from Club Nacional de Football of Uruguay’s first division. The 23-year-old will travel with the senior team for a Saturday match against the Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In the 2015 season, Aja totaled 350 minutes and one goal in five games (including four starts) played for Club Nacional.
Orlando City started Luke Boden at left back, David Mateos and Seb Hines at center back and Kevin Alston at right back in the team’s July 16 2-2 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Boden contributed mightily in the draw, assisting on the team’s first goal of the game with a cross in to Júlio Baptista. Hines has been a solid fixture in the back line, recording the team’s third-most minutes with 1,345, trailing only Kevin Molino (1,444) Brek Shea (1,505). As for Mateos and Alston, they’ve been reliable substitutes for a team that’s seen its fair share of injuries.
Aja brings youth and relatively less experience. He also brings a certain level of physicality with his 6-foot-3, 187-pound frame.
Orlando currently sits at eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-5-10 record with 22 points.
