TRANSFER TRACKER:Signing
Pachuca forward Franco Jara will join FC Dallas upon the opening of the Secondary Transfer Window this July, as the club announced Tuesday that they’ve signed the Argentine to a Designated Player deal.
Jara, who turns 32 on July 15, will occupy an international roster spot and the deal will be completed once his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC) are both received. His arrival will follow the conclusion of Liga MX’s 2020 Clausura.
“After we saw how well Franco Jara played against us during 2017 Concacaf Champions League matches, I promised myself that I would work to get him in an FC Dallas uniform if that opportunity ever became available,” said FC Dallas president Dan Hunt in a statement. “He is a proven goal-scorer. We’re confident that when he arrives in North Texas, he’ll be able to contribute right away.”
Since joining Pachuca in 2015, Jara has recorded 76 goals and 19 assists across 158 appearances. His time with Los Tuzos has included lifting the 2016 Clausura and 2017 Concacaf Champions League trophies. Jara has scored once in four caps for Argentina’s national team, with his last appearance coming in a June 2011 friendly against Nigeria.
Aside from playing for Pachuca, Jara has also spent time at Greek club Olympiacos and Portuguese side Benfica, with loans to Granada CF, San Lorenzo de Almagro and Estudiantes de La Plata between 2011-14 during the latter stint. His professional career began in 2008 at Argentine club Arsenal de Sarandi.
Jara should provide a significant boost to FC Dallas’ striker corps, with Zdenek Ondrasek and teenagers Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Ferreira among the top options currently on the roster. They also acquired winger Fafa Picault via trade from the Philadelphia Union this past November.
