Columbus Crew turns heads with aggressive $1.2M MLS signing | OneFootball

The Columbus Crew entered the market and signed Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old Nigerian forward, who was signed from the Houston Dynamo, arrives with the challenge of adding more attacking depth to reigning Leagues Cup champions. And it wasn't a minor transaction either, as the Crew committed to pay a maximum of $1.2 million for the acquisition, with $450,000 covered and another $750,000 in future contingencies, while also making it possible for Houston to keep a percentage of a future sale. A gambler's risk, but in an economy where quality offensive players are pure gold, it's the perfect move.

A veteran addition desperate for room

Aliyu Ibrahim arrives in the Crew's ranks with a bit of credentials behind him: two years for the Houston Dynamo, 90 games, 12 goals, and nine assists. Those sound impressive statistics by themselves, but the forward did help the Dynamo win the 2023 US Open Cup.

His previous experience in Croatia's elite division, with NK Lokomotiva Zagreb, also serves him well. Time spent in European soccer, even in less sexy markets, has a way of honing the skills that truly count in American soccer, particularly tactical sense and movement off the ball.

Columbus bets on the U22 Initiative as a future engine

Aliyu Ibrahim's signing fills in neatly Columbus Crew's savvy plan of profiting from the MLS U22 Initiative, whereby clubs can sign young players of potential without actually impacting the salary cap much. Ibrahim will be holding on to this privileged roster spot, which will allow the Crew to gain greater fiscal maneuverability to remain proactive in the next transfer windows. It is a plan aimed at gaining sporting success and financial health in the medium term.

Adding depth to an attack that's desperate for a title

Aliyu Ibrahim arrives in Wilfried Nancy's setup to provide depth to a front line that already boasts Diego Rossi, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Dániel Gazdag, the latter brought in from the Philadelphia Union last week. But since the MLS season is long and replete with unexpected setbacks, Ibrahim has a decent chance of becoming the sparkplug that sets up the Crew for success in the remaining races. General manager Issa Tall summarized the club's expectations of him: "Aliyu is a young, dynamic player whose experience in MLS and abroad provides us with important depth and offers a quality attacking option."