The Columbus Crew has been active during the summer transfer window, making several changes to the roster over the last few weeks. Another surprising change came on Monday afternoon when the club announced that it had reached a deal with Al Fateh SC from the Saudi Pro League for playmaker Lucas Zelarayan, for an undisclosed fee.

Zelarayan, 31, has been with the Crew since joining Major League Soccer in 2019 from Liga MX’s Tigres UANL. During his time with the team, he played in 97 games for the Black & Gold, making 85 starts. The Argentine, who plays internationally for Armenia, scored 38 goals and registered 30 assists in his four seasons in MLS.

“We greatly appreciate everything Lucas has done for the Crew, including his efforts to help us win the MLS Cup, the many memorable moments and goals, and his dedication to the Club and our supporters,” president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in the press release announcing the move. “When we signed Lucas, we knew he would make an immediate impact on our team, our club and our city, and we thank him for being a key contributor to the club’s recent success and helping launch this new era of the Crew.”

In addition to his performances in the regular season, Zelarayan appeared in four MLS Cup playoff games during Columbus’ run to the MLS Cup title in 2020. He scored two goals and registered five assists in that postseason, including a two-goal, one-assist performance in the 3-0 win against the Seattle Sounders in the MLS Cup Final. Zelarayan was named the MLS Cup Most Valuable Player following the championship game.

Zelarayan made an impressive debut in MLS during the 2020 season, despite the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. He played in 16 of the 23 games the Crew had that season, making 12 starts while scoring six goals and recording four assists in the regular season. He was named MLS’s Newcomer of the Year for his outstanding performance.

The Armenian international followed up his debut campaign with an outstanding performance in 2021. That season, he was named an All-Star for the first time, starting in 28 of the 32 games and scoring 12 goals while adding seven assists. At times, Zelarayan carried an injury-plagued team that fell just one point short of returning to the MLS Cup playoffs.

Despite the struggles of the Black & Gold in 2022, Zelarayan had his best season in Columbus. In 29 games and 25 starts, the attacking midfielder managed to score 10 goals while providing 12 assists. His play was enhanced by the midseason addition of forward Cucho Hernandez, with whom Zelarayan quickly formed a close partnership.

Zelarayan departs the Crew as the team’s leading goal scorer in 2023 with 10 finishes in 20 games played, all of them as starts. He also provided seven assists, the third-most on the team, behind Hernandez and midfielder Alexandru Matan. He was named an MLS All-Star this year and took part in the game in Washington D.C. against English Premier League side Arsenal.

The Saudi Pro League has become a destination for many players over the past year, with clubs spending big money to attract names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and others. Zelarayan becomes the latest international to join the Saudi Pro League.

“This transfer is beneficial for both the Crew and the player, and it provides us with additional resources and opportunities as we approach the close of the secondary window and plan for the future as we look to remain consistently competitive,” Bezbatchenko continued. “We are confident in our club’s leadership, direction and personnel as we continually strive to bring trophies to Columbus.”