COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids announced today the club has acquired defender Aboubacar Keita from Columbus Crew in exchange for $300,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). Columbus could also receive up to $150,000 in conditional GAM if Keita reaches certain performance marks.
“Bouba is a young, athletic player who is comfortable on the ball and has all the attributes to become a physically dominant defender,” said Pádraig Smith, Colorado Rapids Executive VP & General Manager. “We are committed to targeting the best young players in the domestic market, and in Keita, we believe we have acquired a player with significant upside who is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.”
Keita arrives in Colorado after spending the past four seasons with the Crew, winning the 2020 MLS Cup and 2021 Campeones Cup with the midwestern side. The 21-year-old logged 2,695 minutes across 37 appearances since making his professional debut as a Homegrown Player with Columbus during the 2019 MLS season.
Born in New York City, Keita has represented the United States at the youth level, making eight appearances with the U.S. U-20 Youth National Team, including five, all starts, at the 2019 U-20 World Cup.
TRANSACTION: Colorado Rapids acquire defender Aboubacar Keita from Columbus Crew in exchange for $300,000 in GAM and up to an additional $150,000 in conditional GAM if Keita reaches certain performance marks during the 2022 MLS season.
Aboubacar Keita
Pronunciation: ah-BOO-bah-kahr KAY-tuh
Position: Defender
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Birthdate: April 6, 2000
Birthplace: New York, NY
Last Club: Columbus Crew
Nationality: United States
