Toronto FC finally made it official on Thursday, announcing that they have acquired Panamanian national team midfielder Armando Cooper on loan from Árabe Unido.
Cooper will be added to the TFC roster pending the receipt of his Canadian work permit.
TFC’s interest in Cooper, 28, was first reported last week by a Panamanian outlet and later corroborated by the Vancouver Province’s Marc Weber and Toronto Sun’s Kurt Larson.
Cooper has five goals and 74 career caps with Panama’s national team, playing for Los Canaleros at the 2011 and 2015 Gold Cups and 2016 Copa América Centenario.
“Armando is a versatile midfielder who can play multiple positions and add depth to our roster,” Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement released by the club. “His range of experience with both club and country will be an asset as we continue our push for the playoffs. We are pleased to get this deal finalized and integrate Armando into our group.”
Cooper has spent the majority of his career with Árabe Unido, playing there from 2006-2011 before returning to the team last September. He spent several years with Argentine Primera club Godoy Cruz, but played sparingly there. He’s also spent time with Romanian side Otelul Galati and German second-division outfit St. Pauli.
Toronto FC are currently in second in the East, one point behind conference leaders New York City FC. They’ll play at fellow East contenders Philadelphia Union on Saturday night (7 pm ET; SN360 in Canada; MLS LIVE in the US).
