S.L. BENFICA SIGN U.S. YOUTH NATIONAL AND LOUISVILLE CITY DEFENDER, JOSHUA WYNDER IN HISTORIC DEAL

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Charlotte, N.C. (June 8, 2023) – Benfica S.L. announced today the signing of Joshua Wynder, U.S. Youth National and Louisville City FC defender. The deal between the two clubs is the largest transfer fee ever paid for a player in the USL Championship. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Benfica, one of the top clubs not only in Portugal’s top division, but also in European football, is also known for developing young talent. The historic club just won the Primera Liga title for the 38th time and is only second to Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League appearances. 

“I’m very grateful to Louisville City for everything the club has done for me,” Wynder said. “It’s a dream come true to sign with Benfica, and I can’t wait to get started there. Although my career’s taking me overseas, I’ll always be proud of where I’m from and represent Louisville to the best of my ability.”

Wynder has just returned from Argentina where he started four of five games at the FIFA U-20 World Cup and while there, was named to the U.S. Men’s Concacaf Gold Cup preliminary roster. 

“We are really proud of Josh and how much he has developed over the last few years,” said Mike Gartlan, Wynder’s agent and partner at ProSport Management. “The priority for Josh’s next step was always to find a club that would help him to continue to develop as a person and player. It was a pleasure working with a like-minded club in Louisville to find a good fit for his next move. Benfica came with a great plan and their experience in developing young talent is second to none. Josh’s future is bright, and we are excited to see where he goes from here.”

A native of the Louisville area, Wynder came up through the Louisville City academy, along with his brother Elijah. He signed his first professional contract with the club at 16 and made his debut in July of 2021. In 2022, Josh became a regular starter for the club, received his first call-up to the U.S. Youth National Team and was a finalist for the U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year, all before he turned 18 years old.

“This is a proud moment for Louisville City, our youth academy and our community,” said coach Danny Cruz. “We are going to miss seeing Josh in the locker room each day, but I could not be more proud of the path that he is on in his career. The type of person he is continues to stand out to me, and we look forward to watching him reach new heights to also become the best player he can be.”

For more details, contact Katie Bratland @kb@prosportmanagement.com or +1 612 270 1455.

COLUMBUS CREW ACQUIRES FORWARD CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ FROM SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP SIDE ABERDEEN F.C. 

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COLUMBUS CREW ACQUIRES FORWARD CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ FROM SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP SIDE ABERDEEN F.C. 

31-year-old returns to MLS after two seasons in Scottish topflight; Ramirez has 35 goals and 10 assists to his credit in 105 career MLS regular season matches 

COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew today announced that it has acquired forward Christian Ramirez from Aberdeen F.C. of the Scottish Premiership. The 31-year-old will be added to the Black & Gold roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate. Ramirez joins the Crew for an undisclosed transfer fee through the 2024 season with an option for 2025.  

Ramirez goes to the Black & Gold after most recently spending the 2021-23 seasons with Aberdeen. While in Scotland, he scored 10 league goals in 45 appearances. Ramirez additionally scored three goals in six UEFA Europa Conference League matches and three goals in Scottish League Cup action.  

The Garden Grove, Calif., native began his professional career with Charlotte Eagles of the USL Pro in 2013, where he scored 12 goals in 26 matches. In 2014, he joined Minnesota United, then of the North American Soccer League. That year, he captured the NASL Golden Boot with 20 goals, scoring eight more than the runner-up. Two seasons later, Ramirez was again crowned NASL Golden Boot winner, scoring 18 goals in 2016. A three-time NASL Best XI honoree (2014, 2015, 2016), Ramirez holds the club record for appearances (95) and goals (53). Ramirez signed with Minnesota United prior to the start of their inaugural MLS season in 2017. From 2017-18, he appeared in 50 total matches, scoring 21 goals and adding five assists.  

Ramirez joined LAFC via trade in August of 2018 and scored six goals and added two assists from 2018-19. In August of 2019, he joined the Houston Dynamo where he scored eight goals and tallied three assists from 2019-21 prior to departing for Scotland.  

Ramirez has earned two caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team and scored his first international goal in his debut, a 3-0 victory over Panama on Jan. 27, 2019.  

TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew acquires forward Christian Ramirez for an undisclosed transfer fee from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen F.C. on Jan. 18, 2023. His contract with the Club will run through the 2024 season with an option for 2025. 

Name: Christian Ramirez 

Position: Forward 

Height: 6’2” 

Weight: 187 lbs. 

Born: April 4, 1991, in Santa Ana, Calif.  

Hometown: Garden Grove, Calif.  

Citizenship: United States 

Acquired: Transferred to Columbus Crew on January 18, 2023 

Previous Experience: Aberdeen (2021-2023), Houston Dynamo (2019-21), Los Angeles FC (2018-29), Minnesota United (2017-18), Minnesota United (NASL) (2014-16), Charlotte Eagles (2013)