Minnesota United head coach Eric Ramsay has called new attacking midfielder Joaquin Pereyra “the exact type of player that we want.”

The Loons made official Thursday the signing of the 25-year-old Argentine to a 3 1/2-year contract with a club option for the 2028 season. MNUFC is believed to have paid Athletic Tucuman a transfer fee of around $3.3 million for Pereyra, who will come in as a Designated Player on United’s roster.

“Raising the technical level of the group was a really big thing for us and certainly he will do that,” Ramsay said. “He’s got a strong, athletic profile, 6(-foot-)1. He can run. He’s a symbol of his club. He’s a really important player there. Real leader. So I think from multiple perspectives, he’s the exact type of player that we want here.”

In some respects, Pereyra resembles former MNUFC star Emanuel Reynoso — left-footed Argentine playmakers tasked with setting up teammates for scoring chances.

Before his transfer to Club Tijuana in late May, Reynoso was a No. 10 or central attacking midfielder. But Ramsay wasn’t willing to just put Pereyra in that same position.

“I think part of the attraction for me was the versatility,” Ramsay said. “So I think you could look at him and say that he’s a 10, but also, if you look at a lot of his best actions, they come from slightly deeper. He’s got a really good range of passing, a really good eye for a long switch of play. So he’s not, maybe, a 10 in the traditional Argentinian mold, but definitely someone who could play across a lot of slots on that left-hand side, but certainly an attacking player, someone who’s going to create and he will really give us a different edge going forward.”

Pereyra tallied 14 assists and four goals in Argentina’s Primera Division in 117 appearances in all competitions since 2021.

“I’m very happy and look forward to helping the team,” Pereyra said in a statement. “I am ready and have many dreams to achieve big things with the club.”

Markanich adds depth

The Loons also pulled off a trade in MLS just before the summer transfer window closed Wednesday. MNUFC acquired St. Louis City defender Anthony Markanich in exchange for $50,000 in 2024 General Allocation money and up to $100,000 in additional GAM, if performance levels are met.

The 24-year-old Illinois native played in 32 games for St. Louis after a trade from Colorado Rapids in 2023. He was a 2022 draft pick out of Northern Illinois and can also play center back.

Markanich is expected to be an option behind starting left wing back Joseph Rosales, an emerging star who signed a new three-year contract with Minnesota in July.