Minnesota United made official its first addition of the primary transfer window on Thursday, 21-year-old Argentine center back Nicolas Romero. The Loons signed him to a three-year contract through 2027, with a club option for 2028.
Romero was acquired with a transfer fee of between $1.5 and $2 million paid to Atletico Tucuman, a club in Argentina’s top flight, a source told the Pioneer Press.
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Center back was one of the top offseason roster needs for Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad. The Loons needed to get younger at the position, and Romero will come to Minnesota under MLS’ Under-22 Initiative.
Loons head coach Eric Ramsay, whose primary formation featured three center backs last season, assessed the “interesting” profile of his new 6-foot-1 defender.
“He’s a left-footed center back with a good physical profile in terms of size and aggression that goes with that,” Ramsay told the Pioneer Press. “We want to make sure that we have some good options. Left-footed center backs … are not easy to come by, particularly when you factor in the U22 Initiative and the fact that we want lots of margin for growth in the players we bring in.”
“He’s one that we like and he’s caught the eye of a few people involved in the recruitment process,” Ramsay added. “From the conversations that I’ve had with him so far, he seems like a really solid citizen and one I’m looking forward to work with.”
Despite his youth, Romero played 1,903 minutes at Tucuman in 2023 and 2,129 minutes in 2024, per FBref.com. He joined the club Tucuman at age 13 and made his first-team debut at 17. He played in 78 total matches across all competitions, MNUFC said.
“Nicolas is an ambitious player who has the desire to make the next step in his career, and we are excited to welcome him to Minnesota,” El-Ahmad said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing Nicolás bring a strong work ethic, athletic ability and versatility in the back as an added option to the back line this season and beyond.”
Given the age and adjustment to a new league, El-Ahmad has maintained his view that young players will be given a grace period in acclimating to Minnesota and MLS.
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Last week in his small town of Chumbicha in northwestern Argentina, Romero was honored with a field named after him, according to an article in El Ancasti.
“I had not thought of leaving Argentina quickly, but I quickly made the decision to accept, it is a big step,” Romero told the news outlet. “(Leo) Messi is there (with Inter Miami) and we all have the dream of seeing him play and playing against him, and now it will be my turn.”
The Loons are host to Miami at Allianz Field on May 10.
In Minnesota, Romero joins former Tucuman teammate Joaquin Pereyra, a midfielder who signed a Designated Player contract with the Loons last summer.
“(Pereyra) told me that the facilities are first class, I am going to a great club,” Romero said in an article translated from Spanish. “Last year, (MNUFC) reached the (Western Conference) semifinals and this year he wants to continue growing. The objectives are very clear, he wants to compete in all the tournaments and I am going to contribute my grain of sand wherever I am. God willing, we can do our part.”
Romero will take an international roster spot and will join Minnesota after his work visa is obtained in Argentina.
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