Report: D.C. United acquiring Toluca, Ecuador forward Michael Estrada

D.C. attempts to secure another Ecuador national player.

Following last week’s report of D.C. United attempting to secure Ecuador winger Joao Rojas from Emelec, now comes word the Black-and-Red continue to look at the La Tri roster, this time at Michael Estrada, a 25-year-old forward currently with Toluca in Liga MX. The move would be a loan with a buy option according to Cesar Merlo, who coincidentally reported on D.C.’s advanced talks with Rojas last week before Emelec released a statement saying that the player was intransferible.

Edwards has started this season slow with Toluca thus far, going goalless in 579 minutes, but he is coming off a 2020-21 campaign where he scored 11 goals and 4 assists in his first full season with Los Diablos Rojos, following moving to the club from Ecuador side Macara at the end of 2019. Largely a forward with a dusting of time spent on both wings, Estrada also has appearances with the Ecuador national team as well, scoring seven goals in 27 first-team appearances, most recently in an October World Cup Qualifying win over Bolivia. Estrada’s five goals in 13 qualifiers for Qatar place him tied for fourth in CONMEBOL with Lautaro Martinez, Christian Cueva, and Luis Suarez, and behind only Lionel Messi (6), Neymar (7), and Marcelo Moreno (9). Estrada is with the team in their upcoming qualifiers with Brazil (Thursday) and at Peru on February 1, with the team in a qualifying 3rd place spot in the region.

For D.C., this move to bring Estrada in now would provide some competition amongst Nigel Robertha and Golden Boot runner-up Ola Kamara, though the latter is being shopped for potential offers. With the potential arrival of Designated Player Taxiarchis Fountas getting moved up from midseason to an earlier point, this further provides several weapons in attack for Hernan Losada’s side, and were this move to come to fruition, would fill the last open international roster player spot.

Highlights ahoy: