Mon. Feb 3rd, 2025
Miguel Navarro Talleres
Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

COMMERCE CITY – The Miguel Navarro Talleres permanent transfer is official. A left back who never actually played in Burgundy is gone, Colorado Rapids announced Wednesday. Sources tell Burgundy Wave this move happened via Club Atlético Talleres activating the purchase option from the loan agreement, which is believed to be seven figures.

Navarro came to Colorado last winter along with $450,000 in GAM in exchange for Andrew Gutman. He spent four seasons with Chicago Fire. The Venezuelan international was due to speak on Media Day at the beginning of the 2024 season but could not make it. The previous weekend, Burgundy Wave reported that Colorado Homegrown Sam Vines was returning to the club from Royal Antwerp.

Navarro was later loaned to Talleres for the entirety of 2024 with an option to buy. Talleres has now triggered that option. The 25-year-old played well in Argentina. That got him onto the national team for Copa America this past summer. He started seven of the final nine games of the season as they were in the title race. La T lost this past weekend and finished second to Vélez Sarsfield.

Colorado got Gutman for $400,000 in GAM, an international slot, and $150,000 in conditional GAM. So they turned an INT slot plus $400-550K into six months of Andrew Gutman, $450K in future GAM, and +$1 million transfer fee in real money. Chicago did retain a sell-on percentage. Even if that was 50%, this is really good business by the Rapids FO. Good Rapids Math. Especially for a player who never actually played a game for the club.

That said, Vines did not have a great season back in Colorado. Hopefully he bounces back. Reggie Canon was a good pickup. Could Navarro have been a better option at left back this past year? Maybe. By 2023 form, Gutman was the best of the bunch. If they spend that money well, they can more than make up for whatever that difference would be.

Go use that money to upgrade the winger and defensive midfielder positions in January.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

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