TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Signing
The Colorado Rapids officially announced their first offseason signing Tuesday, nabbing attacking midfielder Johan Blomberg from Swedish side AIK.
The 30-year-old Blomberg has spent his entire professional career in his native Sweden, tallying 28 goals and 39 assists for Ängelholms FF, Halmstads BK, and AIK. In 2017, he had three goals and six assists in 28 league appearances for AIK in Sweden’s top flight division, the Allsvenskan, while also appearing in five Europa League qualifiers.
The signing is subject to receipt of the Blomberg's ITC. He is the first acquisition in what could be a busy offseason for Colorado, after they finished with the third-worst record in MLS in 2017 and tied D.C. United for fewest goals scored with 31.
“We have had an eye on Johan for quite some time and he is someone who we believe will add an extra creative dimension to our team,” said Rapids sporting director and interim GM Padraig Smith. “Johan fits into the way we want to play and we’re confident he will improve our team – especially on the attacking side. He is a versatile, forward-thinking player who possesses the creativity and game intelligence to make an impact in this league.”
Blomberg is the second recent European move the Rapids have made to bolster their attack, after the club secured German winger Stefan Aigner in late July.
“I chose the Colorado Rapids because I believe in the team’s vision for the future, the way they want to play the game, and because the move offers new challenges both on and off the pitch,” said Blomberg. “My family and I are very excited and we can’t wait to move to Denver and officially begin this new chapter of our lives."
