Minnesota United added its fourth new starter since last season's end when it acquired 2017 MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara from Sporting Kansas City in a Monday night trade.
United announced it will send away $900,000 in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and as much as $100,000 more in future TAM considerations for the starting center back they've been seeking.
Born and raised in Durham, N.C., Opara spent the past six seasons In Kansas City, part of a nine-year MLS career that was sidetracked early by injuries and rich with success these past two seasons.
He had his best season in 2017, when he played 30 games and was named the league's best defender and to its Best XI group as well. He led a defense that allowed 29 goals that season, eight fewer than any other team.
That's in comparison to an expansion Minnesota United team that allowed 70 goals in 2017 and 71 last season.
"You can easily say he has been one of the more dominant center backs in the league the last couple years,'' United sporting director Manny Lagos said.
''He has size, great in the air, great competitor as well. He's a great locker-room guy. With how we're trying to build the roster, he really can set the kind of ethos of what we're trying to do."
Opara started 31 games in 2018, played 2,773 minutes and was part of a defense that recorded 11 shutouts.