Orlando City On Verge of Signing Brazilian Right Back Ruan

Orlando City SC has been in the market for a right back after Scott Sutter’s departure and it got what it was looking for as the club is on the verge of signing 23-year-old Brazilian Ruan Teixeira, The Mane Land has learned. The defender was brought to Major League Soccer on a one-year loan deal with the Lions holding an option to make the move permanent at the end of it.

Ruan, whose transfer rights belong to Rio de Janeiro side Barra da Tijuca FC, has been a journeyman in his professional career, having played for as many as four different clubs in Brazil since 2016, always on loan contracts.

He started last season with Serie A team Internacional SC, but moved to second-tier club Associação Atlética Ponte Preta in May. He played in 17 matches for Ponte Preta in the Brazilian Serie B, but his loan expired at the end of the year and he returned to Barra da Tijuca. In 2015, he played with former Lion Victor ‘PC’ Giro in the Corinthians’ academy system.

What It Means for Orlando

Ruan is known in Brazil for his pace and his offensive power. He has the ability to cover a lot of ground and is expected to add more intensity to the Lions on the right side of the field. He can also play on the left if needed.

The Brazilian will be one of three right backs Head Coach James O’Connor will have on the roster for 2019, joining returning veteran RJ Allen and recently signed Kyle Smith, who comes from O’Connor’s former club, USL side Louisville FC. Ruan would provide a pacey replacement for Sutter in a position that needs a clear-cut starter for 2019.