TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
The Colorado Rapids have signed defender Michael Edwards from German side VfL Wolfsburg to a Homegrown player contract, the club announced Thursday.
To execute the deal, Colorado acquired Edwards’ Homegrown rights from D.C. United in exchange for $75,000 in 2021 General Allocation Money (GAM). D.C. could receive additional compensation up to $100,000 in GAM based on Edwards’ performance.
“Michael is a very promising talent who we’ve been monitoring for some time now,” Padraig Smith, Colorado’s executive VP & general manager, said in a release. “He’s a powerful and athletic defender with good distribution and who possesses the qualities we need in our center backs.
“As we continue to emphasize youth development as a foundation for long-term success, we believe Michael has the potential to turn into an outstanding defender and are delighted to welcome him to the club.”
The 20-year-old Virginia native joined Wolfsburg’s U-19 team in October 2018 after coming through D.C. United’s academy. The center back made 14 appearances at the U-19 level before getting promoted to Wolfsburg II in the Regionalliga Nord, the German fourth tier. While with Wolfsburg II, Edwards made 17 appearances. Edwards was included on the US Under-17 roster for the 2016 Aegean Cup in Turkey.
By signing with Colorado, Edwards joins a roster that includes the likes of Lalas Abubakar, Danny Wilson and Auston Trusty at center back. The Rapids are looking to return to the playoffs in head coach Robin Fraser’s second year at the helm after falling in Round One in 2020.
