ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico United announced on Friday the club had acquired midfielder Nanan Houssou via transfer from fellow USL Championship club Loudoun United FC. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

The 23-year-old midfielder made 82 appearances and logged more than 4,700 minutes for Loudoun since his arrival in 2021, anchoring the midfield. Houssou was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and previously played for ASI D’Abengourou in the Ivorian top division.

“Nanan is a terrific professional with unbelievable poise for a player of his age, and is a player we’ve tried to acquire before,” said United Sporting Director Itamar Keinan. “We are excited to finally bring him to New Mexico, and bring an added sense of defensive power to this midfield.”

Houssou arrived at Loudoun United as a 21-year-old, initially on loan from ASI D’Abengourou. In addition to his appearances in the USL Championship, he also made one appearance for D.C. United in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match when the side faced the New York Red Bulls in the Fourth Round of the 2022 tournament.

Analysis

New Mexico United’s addition of Nanan Houssou ahead of the 2024 season could have a major impact with the 23-year-old being one of the standouts on a Loudoun United FC side that had ups and downs in the past campaign. Houssou was consistently active in the center of the field, recording 230 recoveries, 43 interceptions and winning 40 tackles at a 70.2 percent success rate.

As he joins New Mexico, his presence as a holding central midfielder should provide a foundation for players like Sergio Rivas to have the freedom to push into attack consistently. Having rated as a Top 10 Central Midfielder in the Championship a season ago per American Soccer Analysis’ Goals Added metric at a +4.95 rating, it will be fascinating to see Houssou’s progression this campaign.