TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Charlotte MLS have yet to announce its name or colors, but the club have made their first signing. That player is. Sergio Ruiz, a Spanish midfielder who captained second division side Racing Santander.
“We are laying down the foundations of a competitive and winning team, and Ruiz is the ideal player to start with,” Charlotte MLS sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “We’ve been scouting him for several months. He is a natural leader and an intelligent, versatile midfielder, who will be joining Charlotte MLS in his prime. I’m very pleased that he has decided to join us.”
The 25-year-old played for Racing for three years after graduating from its reserve team in 2016. His six goals and seven assists in the 2018-19 campaign helped earn promotion to the Spanish second division.
“He is someone who has adapted himself very well to different roles, whether that’s playing in a two-man or a three-man midfield,” Charlotte MLS scouting director Thomas Schaling said.
“Every team needs mature, dependable players who think about the team first. Sergio is a technical midfielder who reads the game well, both with and without the ball. We are looking forward to seeing him represent us.”
Ruiz made 31 appearances for Racing in the 2019-20 season. He’ll occupy one of Charlotte’s eight international roster slots. Ruiz will be loaned out until the club begins MLS play.
“I am so happy and am really looking forward to arriving in Charlotte,” Ruiz said. “It’s an exciting project and a dream for me. I am committed to do my best and make the club and its fans feel really proud.”
