Nearly three weeks after the conclusion of the Crew's 2019 season, President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko, speaking on behalf of the coaching and technical staff, stressed the foundational importance of maintaining Columbus' core group, but left open the notion of the Black & Gold bringing in, as he put it, a game-changer.
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Thursday's announcement signified just that, as the Crew officially welcomed 27-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder Lucas Zelarayan from Liga MX side Tigres UANL.
Head Coach Caleb Porter described Zelarayan as the ideal type of profile, noting his individual skill (23 goals & 14 assists with Tigres), championship pedigree (seven total titles with Tigres), and overall creativity, specifically in the final third.
"In our 4-2-3-1 system, the No. 10 needs to be a complete player, not only able to dictate our attack and produce goals but help us break down the opponent in a variety of ways individually and by combining with teammates," Porter said.
"What we loved about Lucas is that he has the game changing ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat - whether that’s with a final pass unlocking a defense or with the dribble or on a dead ball - but he is also a very intelligent player. With his positioning, movement and understanding of how to exploit dangerous space, Lucas provides solutions in the attack in critical moments.”
Since joining Tigres in 2016, Zelarayan played a key role in helping the club maintain its status as Mexico's most successful club over the past five years, winning six domestic trophies and one international trophy. Additionally, Tigres reached three Concacaf Champions League finals while notably topping 2017 MLS Cup winners Toronto FC in the inaugural Campeones Cup in 2017.
"Bottom line: Lucas is a proven player in Argentina and Mexico with a pedigree of performing and winning trophies," Porter said. "He is also in his prime playing years at 27 years old, which gives us great confidence in the type of impact he will have with our Club."
Zelarayan's transfer transaction represented the largest acquisition transfer fee in Club history. As Zelarayan gets set to follow suit with the Black & Gold's Argentine lineage of notable No. 10's, he also brings versatility in his skillset, able to play centrally or in the pocket or on the wing.
"Lucas comes in with a quality and pedigree that is unique, but most importantly Lucas' strengths fit what we needed to complement our other top players and enhance the team collectively," Porter said.
Zelarayan's path from Argentina to Mexico not only speaks to the notion that he can be successful abroad, but that he has also proven himself against MLS competition through Concacaf Champions League and Leagues Cup play.
His “technical sophistication” and “experience” are important, Porter said, and after traveling to meet in-person with Zelarayan during the transfer process, the “fit culturally” stands out as well, he noted.
"We definitely thought about how important it was to get a player who can raise the bar for our Club and our level of play, but also fit well in the locker room. We believe we’ve found that player," Porter said.
"Lucas will be a great fit in our squad. He will add a bit of panache on the pitch, but as a professional and person he will blend in extremely well chemistry-wise to the group which is massively important," he said.
“The Argentine No. 10 has been somewhat of a Crew tradition over the years and a big reason success has come to the Club in different eras. With that in mind, we are very proud to make such a big signing in this new era of the Crew and MLS while also keeping a piece of the past Crew tradition.”
