Update: The Crew officially announced the signing of Gonzalo Tapia at 10 a.m. ET on Aug. 5

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The Columbus Crew has signed Chilean forward Gonzalo Tapia on loan, first reported by the Columbus Dispatch and later confirmed by Massive Report. The loan will run for one year through the 2027 MLS Sprint Season.

Tapia will not be a Designated Player for the Crew. The deal is expected to be officially announced on Wednesday.

The Sprint Season is set for February 2027, with MLS teams playing 14 games before making the full transition to the calendar change to mimic the European calendar later in the year.

At the age of 10, Tapia joined the Universidad Católica academy, where he quickly became a household name, winning the Under-15 championship. He was also named the top scorer and best player in the Under-14 and Under-15 categories.

Tapia got his professional start with Universidad Católica in October 2019, which saw him with the Chilean club through June 2022. He made his first team debut on September 5, 2020, entering in the 86th minute to help solidify a 4-1 win over Coquimbo Unido. Tapia scored his first professional goal in 2019 in a 1-1 draw vs Everton de Vina del Mar.

In 2025, Tapia moved to Argentine powerhouse River Plate, making just seven appearances across all competitions during his stint in Argentina. In July 2025, Tapia moved to Sao Paulo on loan, with an option to buy. That option was made official at the beginning of the 2026 calendar year for $2 million Euros.

Tapia also represented Chile at the U-15 level in 2017 at the South American U-15 Championship, and Chile at the U-17 South American Championship. He made his senior team debut for Chile in September 2024 in a World Cup qualifier match against Bolivia, entering the match in the 61st minute.

The loan move to Columbus comes after the Crew lost striker Wessam Abou Ali to a torn ACL injury, and the transfer of Diego Rossi to CF Monterrey of Liga MX. With no real attacking threat on the roster, Columbus was in search of a No. 9 and got their guy in Tapia.

Tapia joins Brais Mendez, Eric Bailly, and Lautauro Giaccone as recent additions to the Black & Gold.