TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
US youth international midfielder Taha Habroune has joined the Columbus Crew as a homegrown player, the club announced Wednesday.
Habroune, 17, is under contract through the 2027 MLS season with an option for 2028. He signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Crew 2 last May, earning a fast track to the first team.
"Taha is a talented young player who has continued to improve since joining our club five years ago. Signing a first-team contract is a testament to his efforts and our club’s commitment to creating opportunities to advance along our player pathway," Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a release.
"Taha is the first player to progress directly from the Academy to Crew 2 and now to the first team, and we fully expect this trend to continue in the future based on the strong environment created by the leadership of Marc Nicholls, Corey Wray, Kelvin Jones, Dan Lock and our entire Crew 2 and Crew Academy coaches and staff."
Last season with Crew 2, Habroune tallied four goals and three assists in 20 matches as the side reached a second consecutive MLS NEXT Pro Cup. He also made his first-team debut in the US Open Cup.
Habroune was a 2023 MLS NEXT All-Star and earned U-17 MVP honors at the 2023 Generation adidas Cup. With the US U-17s, he was a key player at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia and has four goals in 11 overall appearances.
Columbus, after winning MLS Cup 2023 presented by Audi, start their title defense on Feb. 24 vs. Atlanta United (2 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
