Source: Joao Rojas transfer fee to NYCFC is $2.8 million

Ecuadorean attacker Joao Rojas has completed a deal to New York City FC, and the deal represents a rather significant investment from his new club in the young talent.

The 23-year old Rojas, a creative player who can slot-in any three of the attacking midfield roles, is currently on the books at Ecuadorean powerhouse Emelec. A source close to the situation tells FanSided’s MLS Multiplex that the transfer fee for the player is $2.8 million.

His salary, the source said, is expected to make him a signing that uses Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).

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The expected salary for Rojas, the source said, is in the neighborhood of $500,000 for this year. That number jumps to nearly $1 million by 2023.

Rojas, capped three times by Ecuador, brings a midfield complement to a NYCFC side that hasn’t necessarily had trouble scoring goals but sometimes struggled in the middle of the park to turn possession into creativity and scoring opportunities.

Last year, the Yankee Stadium club was paced by Valentín Castellanos who had six goals. The aforementioned Moralez led the team with four assists.

Jesus Medina, a midfielder, was second with five goals. Tied for third in scoring was deep-lying midfielder Alexander Ring (traded this offseason to Austin FC), right back Anton Tinnerholm and forward Alexandru Mitriță. The trio of Ring, Tinnerhom and Mitriță each had four goals.

NYCFC finished the season with +12 goals, a fifth straight season where they finished with a positive goal differential. Last season also represented a fifth straight season where NYCFC made the playoffs.

It has been an overall quiet offseason for NYCFC, with Rojas representing a second prominent international signing. Earlier this year, the Bronx club signed Malte Amundsen. A youth international with Denmark, the recently turned 23-year old is a promising left back with a high work rate.