Seattle Sounders sign Peru forward Raul Ruidiaz as Designated Player

Seattle Sounders announced on Friday the signing of Peru international forward Raul Ruidiaz as a Designated Player.

The Washington club, which has been pursuing the 27-year-old for some months, has at last been able to get a deal over the line following Peru's elimination from the 2018 World Cup.

Ruidiaz joins from Liga MX side Morelia, for whom he scored 40 league goals in two full seasons. He made a couple of substitute appearances for his country in Russia.

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said: "We are very pleased to bring in a player of Raul's quality and add him to our current squad.

"He has a strong resume as a goal-scorer in both Mexico and South America, so we're looking forward to seeing how that translates to MLS and helps our club succeed on the field."

The signing of Ruidiaz was facilitated by some savvy dealing from club staff. Targeted Allocation Money was used to contribute toward Osvaldo Alonso's contract, thereby freeing up one of three Designated Player spots. As a result, Ruidiaz joins U.S. veteran Clint Dempsey and Uruguay international Nicolas Lodeiro as DPs in Seattle.

He will be eligible to play for the club once the secondary MLS transfer window opens on July 10.