The Columbus Crew is set to make a third defensive addition to the roster of the summer transfer window. After signing center back Yevhen Cheberko and trading for wing back Julian Gressel, the Crew is nearing an agreement with CF Montreal for French center back Rudy Camacho, sources, who were granted anonymity as they were not permitted to speak on the record, tell Massive Report.

Camacho, 32, has played for Montreal since 2018 when he signed from Belgian First Division A side Waasland-Beveren. He has made 128 appearances, starting 126 of those games, for the Canadian side, scoring seven goals in the process. Camacho played 59 times under current Black & Gold head coach Wilfried Nancy when he was in the same role in Montreal during the 2021 and 2022 seasons as well as working with the Frenchman when he was an assistant coach with the club beginning in 2018.

During their time together, Camacho played as the central center back in Nancy’s back three setup. The expectation is he will be deployed in the same role for Nancy in Columbus, sources familiar with the situation tell Massive Report.

The Crew has gone through a number of center back combinations this season. After trading captain Jonathan Mensah in the preseason, the Black & Gold started the year with Milos Degenek, Philip Quinton and Steven Moreira working as the back three. Gustavo Vallencilla stepped in as a starter as the left center back before a rash of injuries forced a make-shift backline that featured Moreira in the middle with wing back Malte Amundsen on the left and midfielder Sean Zawadzki on the right.

Columbus allowed Milos Degenek to move back to Red Star Belgrade, the Serbian club he came to the Black & Gold from prior to the 2022 season, earlier this transfer window, opening room for a center back addition.

Prior to joining MLS and playing for Montreal, Camacho, a product of the AS Nancy Academy, played for various clubs in France, such as FC Lyon-Duchère and CS Sedan Ardennes before moving to Belgium.

Expected to happen early this week, once this trade is complete, the Crew will have options as to what to deploy on the backline. Given Camacho’s familiarity with Nancy and his system, he is expected to make a quick transition to the Black & Gold and step into the central center back role quickly in Columbus.