Colorado Rapids extend defender Lucas Esteves’ loan from Palmeiras

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Loan extension

The Colorado Rapids have extended defender Lucas Esteves’ loan from Brazilian side Palmeiras through the remainder of the 2022 MLS season, the club announced Friday.

Colorado retain a club option to purchase the 22-year-old. He originally joined midway through the 2021 campaign after homegrown left back and US men’s national team player Sam Vines was transferred to Royal Antwerp in Belgium.

“Lucas has been a valuable contributor to our team since his arrival so we’re delighted to extend his stay with us through at least the remainder of the season,” Pádraig Smith, Colorado’s EVP and general manager, said in a release.

Signed via the league’s U22 Initiative roster mechanism, Esteves has two goals and three assists in 27 regular-season appearances (19 starts). He grew into a key part of Colorado’s 2021 Western Conference regular-season championship team.

Prior to his loan with the Rapids, Esteves spent three seasons with Palmeiras, the most successful club in the history of Brazil’s Serie A, the country’s top flight. He made his professional debut in 2020 and went on to win two consecutive Copa Libertadores, the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Paulista.