The Colorado Rapids announced today the club has signed defender Lalas Abubakar from Columbus Crew SC in exchange for $400,000 in 2020 General Allocation Money (GAM) and a 2020 international roster spot.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Lalas back,” said Pádraig Smith, Colorado Rapids Executive Vice President & General Manager. “Since joining us last year, Lalas has been an integral part of our team and has established himself as a top defender in MLS. We’re excited to have him with us from the start next year and build on the exceptional season he had in 2019.”
Abubakar is entering his second season with the Rapids after originally joining the team on loan from Crew SC midway through the 2019 season. The 24-year-old made 22 appearances for the Rapids, all starts, and was selected as the club’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Prior to his arrival in Colorado, Abubakar spent two seasons with Crew SC where he recorded 35 appearances and scored two goals for the club. He was selected by Columbus in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas.
A native of Kumasi, Ghana, Abubakar has previously represented his home country at the U-20 level.