Less than a week after acquiring him, Vancouver Whitecaps FC have sold striker Fabian Espindola to Liga MX side Club Necaxa for an undisclosed transfer fee, the club announced late Tuesday.
Espindola, 31, had been acquired by Vancouver from D.C. United for General Allocation money on July 20, but he never reported to Western Canada. Reports suggested the 10-year MLS veteran, who has a three-month-old son, did not want to move his family so far for a short-term deal; his MLS contract was set to expire at the end of the current season.
“We acquired Fabian last week as we felt he would be a good addition to our team,’’ Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson said. “After we finalized the trade, we were presented with an offer from Club Necaxa which provides us with a significant amount of allocation money, and puts us in a better position than we were prior to this trade. We discussed the offer with Fabian and he agreed to the move. We will continue to look for another attacking player, as we are always looking to improve our club for the short, medium and long term.’’
“I was preparing for my move to Vancouver, which I know is a great city, when we were presented with an offer to sign with Club Necaxa,’’ Espindola said. “This new deal gives my family security and stability, as my previous contract was set to expire at the end of this season. I am thankful to Whitecaps FC and wish them all the best.’’
In 212 career games with Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls and D.C. United, Espindola, an Argentine, had 64 goals and 36 assists. His most productive season was 2014 with D.C. United, when he had 11 goals and nine assists in 27 games (24 starts).
