Ghanaian defender Lalas Abubakr has signed for Colorado Rapids during the MLS draft expansion.

After joining his new side, the defender could hide his joy after joining the Rapids.

The club announced his signing from Columbus Crew SC  for $400,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and a 2020 international roster spot.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Lalas back,” said Rapids Executive Vice President & General Manager, Pádraig Smith. “Since joining us last year Lalas has been an integral part of our team and has established himself as a top defender in MLS. We’re excited to have him with us from the start next year and build on the exceptional season he had in 2019.”

Abubakar is entering his second season with the Rapids after originally joining the team on loan from Crew SC midway through the 2019 season. The 24-year-old made 22 appearances for the Rapids, all starts, and was selected as the club’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to his arrival in Colorado, Abubakar spent two seasons with Crew SC where he recorded 35 appearances and scored two goals for the club. He was selected by Columbus in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas.

A native of Kumasi, Ghana, Abubakar ha represented Ghana at the U-20 level with the Black Satellites.

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