TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Columbus Crew SC have signed outside back Saad Abdul-Salaam from the MLS Waiver list, it was announced Saturday.
The Ohio native was last with FC Cincinnati and arrives at the defending MLS Cup champions with one goal and 11 assists across 94 MLS appearances (65 starts). He’s a seven-year league veteran.
“We are pleased to welcome Saad back to his hometown club,” Crew SC president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a release. “Saad is a defender whose versatility as a player and proven experience in our league will make him a valuable member of our squad, especially as we deal with match congestion this season. We are excited to begin working with Saad and look forward to incorporating him into the team.”
Capable of playing on either side, Abdul-Salaam gives Crew SC another option behind starters Milton Valenzuela (left) and Harrison Afful (right). They also signed Marlon Hairston as a free agent in March, with Hairston giving them depth on the right-hand side.
Abdul-Salaam, 29, originally entered MLS in 2015 with Sporting Kansas City as the No. 12 overall SuperDraft selection. He’s also played for New York City FC (2018) and the Seattle Sounders (2019), winning an MLS Cup during the latter stop.
Now in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, Columbus open their 2021 MLS season on Sunday (5:30 pm ET | FS1, FOX Deportes) against the Philadelphia Union, last year’s Supporters’ Shield winner.
