The Fire announced on Wednesday that the team had acquired midfielder Benji Joya, 20, via a loan deal with Club Santos Laguna of Liga MX, the top flight league in Mexico.
“Benji is a talented, young player,” Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop said in a press release. “He has international experience and will be a great addition as we continue to build and strengthen our squad.”
Since joining Santos in 2012, Joya has appeared in just four first-team league matches and two Copa MX matches. The San Jose, Calif. native has captained the United States U-20 national team in the past, as the team qualified for the 2014 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
Joya will be added to the roster pending receipt of his ITC, the Fire announced. The deal includes a one-year loan term followed by an option for a permanent transfer. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The loan came after the Fire won a weighted lottery for his rights on Wednesday. You can follow Joya on twitter at @benjijoya54.