LAFC announced today that the Club has acquired forward Ismael Tajouri-Shradi from Charlotte FC in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money in 2022.
In addition, Charlotte FC selected LAFC defender Tristan Blackman with the fourth pick in the MLS Expansion Draft.
Tajouri-Shradi, 27, was chosen by Charlotte with the fifth pick of the Expansion Draft from NYCFC before being sent to Los Angeles. The Libyan international won the MLS Cup on Sunday with New York, entering as a substitute in the 80th minute in the Final.
“Ismael is an explosive attacking player who is a proven winner in MLS and is a good fit to how we look to play,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “We know from experience he is difficult to defend and brings great pedigree to our Club.”
A four-year MLS veteran, Tajouri-Shradi made 84 regular season appearances for NYCFC, including 49 starts and tallying 4,385 minutes. A dynamic striker, he has scored 26 regular season goals and registered five assists. He had 11 goals in his debut MLS season for New York in 2018.
Blackman, 25, was an LAFC original, joining the team with the third selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft from University of Pacific. The versatile defender appeared in 64 regular season matches for the Black & Gold, making 46 starts and scoring two goals and recording four assists.
“Tristan has been a key member of our Club since we drafted him in 2018,” Thorrington said. “In those four years, he developed into an important contributor to this organization and we wish him all the best in the next step of his career.”
Tajouri-Shradi arrived in New York in January, 2018 in a transfer from the Austrian Bundesliga’s Austria Wien, where he scored eight goals in 49 appearances. He started his professional career in 2014 with SCR Altach in Austria.
Named NYCFC’s Newcomer of the Year in 2018, Tajouri-Shradi has made four appearances for the Libyan National Team, playing in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying.
General Allocation Money (GAM) is money that is available to a club in addition to its salary budget. Each MLS Club received an annual allotment of GAM, funds strategically provided by the league to the teams to add or retain players that will make an immediate impact on the field.
TRANSACTION: The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) acquires forward Ismael Tajouri-Shradi from Charlotte FC in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money.
