Houston Dynamo beat the close of the primary transfer window on Tuesday night to sign Colombian forward Mauro Manotas.
Manotas, 19, will join the Dynamo pending the receipt of his international transfer certificate and his P-1 work visa after securing a move from Colombian first division side Uniautónoma F.C.
The acquisition of Manotas increases the options available to Dynamo boss Owen Coyle in the attacking third. Manotas is a prospect for the future, but he will hope to press Giles Barnes and Will Bruin for playing time once he receives the necessary clearance to feature.
“We are pleased to add Mauro Manotas to our roster before the close of the primary transfer window,” Dynamo general manager Matt Jordan said in a statement. “He is a young, talented and dynamic prospect that will be a positive addition to our attacking group. At 19 years of age we are looking forward to seeing him develop within our system and contribute to the success of our team moving forward."
Manotas scored five times in 25 league appearances since breaking into the Uniautónoma first team last year. His emergence as a regular selection for Uniautónoma ushered him into the Colombia squad for the 2015 South American U-20 Championship in January. The versatile forward featured in three matches and scored one goal as the Colombians eventually finished second in the tournament and sealed a place in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Colombia under-20 boss Carlos Isaza left Manotas off his 21-player roster for the upcoming World Cup earlier this week. The decision represented a setback for Manotas, but it also paved the way for him to link up with the Dynamo and start his career in MLS once he receives the proper paperwork.
