TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
Ahead of Friday's 2018 MLS Superdraft, the Houston Dynamo looked to shore up central midfield with the acquisition of El Salvador captain Darwin Cerén, sending $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and $75,000 in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to the San Jose Earthquakes.
“Darwin is a competitor who will transition well into our club and the city of Houston. At 28-years-old, he joins us in the prime of his career and he is eager to contribute to the success of our team,” said Dynamo vice president and general manager Matt Jordan said in a club release. “With his addition to the team, we’ve strengthened our midfield and continued to create a highly competitive environment for our group as we prepare for the 2018 season.”
Since joining MLS with Orlando City SC in 2015, Cerén has appeared in 75 regular-season games (67 starts), tallying 2 goals and 6 assists. Cerén has proven a disruptive force in the middle of the field, with the Dynamo citing a 76.64 tackle success rate (6th overall since 2015) and his 85.78 pass completion percentage. For El Salvador, Cerén has earned 41 caps and scored two goals since making his international debut in 2012.
Top 10 among midfielders with at least 5,000 minutes played
“Darwin is a young, but experience and talented player. He will bring intensity, quality and support in all aspects to the team. As a defensive midfielder he wins every ball he chases and has a fantastic technical ability to control the ball,” said Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “On the field he is a leader and has a lot of experience in MLS. We are very happy and excited that he is joining us, because he will help improve the team in all aspects ahead of a very tough season.”
