LAFC signs forward Cristian Tello through 2022
Announced today, LAFC signs forward Cristian Tello to a contract through this season with options for 2023 and 2024. He joins two days after Young Designated Player Brian Rodriguez was transferred to Club América of Liga MX, so he will not take up a Designated Player spot for the Black and Gold. After receiving his P1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC), Tello will take a spot on the international roster.
“Cristian is a dangerous attacker and a great fit to what we are building at LAFC,” said LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington as LAFC signs forward Cristian Tello. “He has played for some of the biggest Clubs in the world and has succeeded in high-pressure situations like the Champions League. We are excited to welcome him, his wife and family to L.A. as we continue the work towards our ultimate goal of winning championships.”
The 31-year-old Tello joins LAFC following five seasons with Real Betis of the Spanish La Liga. A native of Sabadell, Spain, the forward has played for Barcelona, Porto (Portugal), Fiorentina (Italy, Serie A), and Real Betis (La Liga) during his great career in Europe.
Since coming from the Barcelona and Espanyol academies, Tello has played in almost 200 La Liga matches. Internationally, Tello played in the London 2012 Summer Olympics and received one cap for Spain in 2013.
Just this summer, LAFC signed Tello and superstar Gareth Bale to its roster as free agents, as well as re-signing Carlos Vela to a new contract and bringing in Denis Bouanga from France’s Saint-Étienne. As LAFC signs forward Cristian Tello, he should fit in quite smoothly as he played with LAFC midfielder Ilie Sánchez while they were teammates at Barcelona B.
