Even after a blockbuster deal that brought back forward Dom Dwyer to the City Beautiful, Orlando City SC was not finished with adding to its roster. On Friday, the club announced the signing of attacking midfielder and left-back Yoshimar Yotún as a designated player, pending receipt of his P-1 visa and international-transfer certificate, according to a team press release.
Yotún most recently played for Swedish side Malmö FF, the reigning Allsvenskan champions.
“We were actively looking to add depth in the midfield during this transfer window and are excited to sign Yoshi,” Lions general manager Niki Budalic said, per the release. “Yoshi can play as a creative midfielder who can operate both wide and centrally, as well as cover as an attacking left-back.
“He stands out for his passing and creative ability, as well as his versatility to play multiple positions. He is a great fit for our long-term plans and someone we’ve tracked since last year.”
The Peruvian international and native represented his country in the 2011 and 2015 Copa America tournaments, leading his team to third-place finishes. In 64 caps, he has recorded two goals and seven assists.
“We spent a lot of time before and during the transfer window looking at players around the world, and Yoshi stuck out to us,” City CEO Alex Leitão said, per the release. “His wealth of experience from the highest levels of club and international soccer will be an important asset to our team in our push for the playoffs.”
Before joining Orlando City, Yotún started his career for Peruvian side Sporting Cristal Lima in 2008, making 155 appearances with nine goals and 12 assists. Yotún also won Full-back of the Year in 2012 and 2014, helping his team to Primera División del Peru championships in each of those years.
Yotún absorbs one of Orlando City’s international spots and will also replace forward Giles Barnes for a designated-player tag. City used targeted-allocation money to remove the DP tag from Barnes.
City next travels to face the Montreal Impact on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Lions are two points of a playoff spot and have won just two of their last 15 games.
For more on Orlando City, as the Lions search for their first win since the end of June, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
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