Nashville SC have acquired forward Ake Loba from Liga MX side Monterrey for a club record fee of $6.8 million, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
MLSSoccer.com was the first to report the news. The deal contains a sell-on clause for Monterrey should Nashville later transfer the Ivory Coast native.
– MLS on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)
Loba, 23, scored seven goals in 23 league and cup appearances for Los Rayados after arriving in 2020 for a fee of $9m. Included in his list of tallies was a goal in the CONCACAF Champions League against the Columbus Crew last April.
He began his professional career in his home country before moving to Peruvian side Universidad San Martín in 2018. A year later he was loaned to Liga MX side Queretaro where he scored 11 goals in 41 league and cup appearances.
Loba joins a Nashville side that is off to a good start this season, sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 18 points from 11 matches. But while NSC averages 11.5 chances created per game, tied for third best in the league, its 1.3 goals per game is only good for 12th in the 27-team MLS, highlighting how finishing has been an issue for Nashville. That is the area where Loba is expected to help Nashville improve.
