FC Cincinnati announced it has completed the signing of Herediano midfielder Allan Cruz, who will join the club immediately.
Meet #FCCincy‘s newest signing Allan Cruz. 💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/qwE5g74eAo
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 18, 2019
Previous reports had indicated that Herediano wanted to hang on to Cruz until its participation in the knockout rounds of this year’s CONCACAF Champions League was complete, but FCC succeeded in getting the midfielder — known as the “Tico Kante” for his resemblance to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante — on board in time for the start of presesason next week.
The Costa Rica international joins what is becoming a crowded central midfield, with Cincinnati already having Fatai Alashe, Eric Alexander, Victor Ulloa and Leonardo Bertone on their books.
Cruz, 22, spent parts of the last two seasons with Herediano, making 75 league and cup appearances, while scoring eight goals. He started his professional career with Uruguay de Coronado in Costa Rica’s second tier, making 24 appearances and scoring one goal.
Cruz has made six appearances for Costa Rica’s national team, scoring once in a friendly against Peru last November.