Columbus Crew SC on Monday announced the acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Artur de Lima Junior, better known as Artur, on a season-long loan from Sao Paulo FC.
The 20-year-old will officially be added to Crew SC’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa, and will occupy an international roster slot.
A product of Sao Paulo’s academy, Artur is a box-to-box or deep-lying midfielder who won myriad honors with the club’s Under-20 side over the past two years, including the 2016 Copa Libertadores, 2016 Campeonato Paulista, 2015 Copa RS and the 2015 and 2016 Copa do Brasil titles. Before joining SPFC, Artur was a standout in the youth system at Esporte Clube Bahia.
“Artur is a young, dynamic player who was a key contributor to a Sao Paulo FC program that is one of the most decorated in South America, winning trophies at the state, national and confederation level,” said Columbus sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter in a club release. “We are looking forward his transition to Major League Soccer and expect him to be able to contribute on the field immediately.”
Crew SC recently returned from a preseason training camp in Brazil that included a friendly vs. SPFC, and are in Ohio for a few days this week before departing for Charleston, South Carolina to participate in the 2017 Carolina Challenge Cup.
“I’m very excited to go to Columbus,” said Artur. “I want to go and become a champion because I like winning, but more than anything I want to help all of my teammates.”
MLS FANTASY PRICE:
Artur – Midfielder – $5.5
SIMILAR TO: Eric Alexander, Jay Chapman, Jeff Larentowicz
