LAFC announce signing of defender Jesús David Murillo

The saga is complete, as Los Angeles Football Club announced Wednesday they have signed defender Jesús David Murillo on a loan from Independiente Medellín for the rest of the 2020 season with an option to buy.

The 26-year-old is already in the United States, presumably undergoing quarantine, and was spotted in the stands at LAFC’s last game, Sunday against the Seattle Sounders.

“As a club, we are always looking at ways of improving our roster and we believe that acquiring a player of Jesús’s caliber will do just that,” said LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington in a team statement. “He has fantastic physical qualities that fit how we play and will provide a commanding presence across the backline. We are excited to have him with us and expect him to make an immediate impact as we continue our playoff push.”

LAFC have been in need of a starting center back since trading away Walker Zimmerman in February, and hope they’ve found it in Murillo. Playing at DIM, one of the big clubs in Colombia, he won a domestic cup there and has played in the Copa Libertadores, including this fall, so he may be pretty close to match fitness right now, which would be a boost for LAFC.

This is Murillo’s first time playing outside his native Colombia, but with LAFC hitting paydirt previously in that country with Eddie Segura and Eduard Atuesta, they’ll hope to keep that success streak alive, and for Murillo to hit the ground running once he’s cleared to play. It’s a big move, and if Murillo makes the grade it could help LAFC turn an inconsistent 2020 into a year where they could be contenders yet. We’ll see what happens.

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