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The Colorado Rapids officially acquired forward Rafael Navarro on a 12-month loan from S.E. Palmeiras, the reigning champion of Brazil’s Serie A, on Monday.

Navarro, 23, will occupy a Designated Player slot for the Rapids. The loan expires June 30, 2024, but the Rapids will have the option to make the transfer permanent.

Navarro has scored 11 goals and added four assists across 65 matches for Palmeiras.

“We’re thrilled to add a striker of Rafael’s quality to our roster as we continue our push to get back into the playoff race,” Rapids president and general manager Padraig Smith said in a news release. “Rafael is a talented and tenacious player who will bring a goalscoring threat and experience at the highest levels in South America to the club. We believe he can immediately improve our attacking core and look forward to welcoming him to Colorado.”

The Rapids own the worst record in Major League Soccer (3-10-8, 17 points), but they are a mere eight points out of the Western Conference playoff race, with 13 league matches remaining.

Colorado also recently traded for Atlanta United defender Andrew Gutman.

–Field Level Media