Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announced today the acquisition of Orlando City SC defender Mohamed El-Munir in exchange for defender João Moutinho.
“Mohamed showed a great deal of potential and performed very well in his first season in MLS.” said General Manager and EVP of Soccer Operations John Thorrington. “He is a dynamic, versatile player who will translate well to how we play. At 26, Mohamed is in the peak of his career and we are very pleased that we were able to finalize this deal.”
Last season, El-Munir appeared in 26 regular season contests (23 starts) for Orlando City SC, registering two assists in 2,089 minutes. He also played in all three of Orlando’s U.S. Open Cup contests, playing all 300 minutes of the competition.
Prior to joining MLS, the Libya international helped Serbian SuperLiga side FK Partizan Belgrade earn its 27th league title after playing in seven matches across all competitions in 2017.
El-Munir made his professional debut with Al-Ittihad Tripoli in the Libyan Premier League in 2010, before joining Serbian side Jagodina from 2011-14. Ahead of the 2015 campaign, El-Munir signed with FC Dinamo Minsk in the Belarusian Premier League. While at Dinamo Minsk, he notched two goals and two assists in 51 appearances in all competitions, including UEFA Europa League Qualifiers and Europa League matches.
At the international stage, El-Munir has seen action in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycles for Libya. He has appeared in 19 matches, tallying three goals for his national side after making his international debut on October 14, 2012.
In his first professional campaign, Moutinho appeared in 14 regular season matches (10 starts) for the Black & Gold, tallying one goal in 872 minutes. Moutinho was selected first overall by LAFC in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
Prior to LAFC, Moutinho registered three goals and five assists in 24 games during his lone season at the University of Akron and was named Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year.
“As our first-ever SuperDraft selection, João will always be part of LAFC’s history,” added Thorrington. “We are appreciative of his service to the Club in our inaugural campaign, and we wish him all the best as he begins the next chapter of his young career.”
TRANSACTION: Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) acquires defender Mohamed El-Munir from Orlando City SC in exchange for defender João Moutinho.
VITALS
Name: Mohamed El-Munir (El Muh-NIR)
Position: Defender
Born: 04/08/1992
Height: 5-9
Weight: 154 lbs.
Birthplace: Tripoli, Libya
Citizenship: Libya
Instagram: @mohamedelmunir13
