Rapids sign Navarro from Palmeiras

The Colorado Rapids have signed Brazilian center forward Rafael Navarro from Palmeiras, sources involved in the deal tell The Athletic.

The deal is a 12-month loan with a purchase option. The Rapids will pay a $500,000 loan fee and have a $4.5million purchase option. That total package of potentially $5m would far and away set a new Rapids club-record fee.

Navarro, 23, has 11 goals and four assists in 65 appearances with Palmeiras, mostly off the bench. In 2022, he had seven goals and two assists in 10 Copa Libertadores appearances (403 minutes). 

The center forward’s best season came in the Brazilian second tier with Botafogo in 2021, when he had 15 goals and nine assists in 37 appearances. Navarro led Botafogo to a Serie B title then signed with Palmeiras, where his side won the Serie A title.

The Rapids sit bottom of the Western Conference with 17 points after 21 matches, though just won their first home match of the season on Saturday. They have scored an MLS-low 16 goals. Navarro would be the new attacking talisman, with Diego Rubio, Kevin Cabral, Michael Barrios and Jonathan Lewis around him.

Colorado are in desperate need of a go-to goal scorer. No player has more than two goals this season and the Rapids’ leading scorer in any season has had more than 13 league goals just twice in the last 12 years.

The Rapids added left back Andrew Gutman in a trade with Atlanta United when the summer transfer window opened last week and are expected to continue making moves.

(Photo: NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)