FC Dallas’ quiet offseason just got officially loud. The club announced on Tuesday that is has agreed to terms with Panamanian striker Blas Pérez and Colombian defender Hernán Pertúz.
The duo marks the club’s first acquisitions of the offseason, and they’re big ones. The 30-year-old Pérez has been a prolific marksman over his 14-year career. The 6-foot-1 forward has bagged more than 150 goals on his various club stops, including in Panama, Colombia, Spain, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
Pérez (above) has also been prolific at the international level with more than 20 goals for Panama, including two strikes against the US at the 2007 and ’09 Gold Cup. He was also a key member of the Panamanian side that upset the Americans at last summer’s tournament and recently hung a hat trick on Nicaragua last fall in CONCACAF’s second round of 2014 World Cup qualifying.
He comes to Dallas most recently from now-defunct Indios de Ciudad Júarez of Mexico’s second division. Pérez should immediately slot into FC Dallas’ forward-starved lineup after the team parted ways with veterans Maicon Santos and Maykel Galindo.
“Blas is a player we always had on our radar,” FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said in a statement. “We are extremely happy we found a way to bring him to MLS to play for FC Dallas. Pérez is a tremendous striker that continues to score goals everywhere he goes. We expect him to bring that finishing ability to FC Dallas.”
Pertúz, meanwhile, becomes the second young Colombian signed by Dallas in the past year, joining his countryman Fabián Castillo. The 6-foot center back will turn 23 on March 31 and comes to MLS from Colombian first-division side Independiente Medellín.
The Colombian youth international will bolster the FC Dallas back line, and could provide cover should center back George John make a long-rumored jump to Europe.
“Pertúz is a solid center back that has captained the Colombian U-23 national team,” said Hyndman. “He is a player that will bring us the balance we need on our team and provide us with another strong defender in this position.”
Per league and team policy, terms of both deals will not be disclosed.
