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Impact add youth, depth to midfield with loan acquisition of Argentine Arregui

Feb 22, 2017 | 4:00 PM

MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact added depth and youth to their midfield group Wednesday with the acquisition of Adrian Arregui on a one-year loan from Argentine first division club Atletico Temperley.

Arregui, 24, bolsters a central midfield group that includes Hernan Bernardello, Marco Donadel and Patrice Bernier, who are all in their 30s.

The Impact made room for him on their squad earlier Wednesday by acquiring an international roster spot from D.C. United in exchange for US$75,000 in general allocation money.

“Adrian is a dynamic central midfielder that can cover a lot of ground,” Impact technical director Adam Braz said in a release. “He has a high work rate and a strong mentality that will fit into the culture we are building.

“He has a strong desire to come to Montreal and is looking forward to joining the team. We think that he will be a good fit with our team and that he will be able to contribute this season.”

Arregui adds to an already strong Argentine presence on the Impact, joining Bernardello, Ignacio Piatti, Victor Cabrera and Andres Romero.

The five-foot-nine midfielder played the last three seasons at Atletico Temperley in Buenos Aires, where he was a teammate of former Impact midfielder Leonardo di Lorenzo. He helped Temperley rise to the second division in 2014 and to the Primera Division the following season.

In three seasons in the top division he had two goals and two assists in 50 games, including 45 starts.

He previously played with his local club, Asociacion Deportiva Berazategui.

The Canadian Press