LAFC acquire defender Yevhen Cherberko from Columbus Crew

LOS ANGELES — LAFC added another experienced piece to its back line Tuesday, acquiring defender Yevhen Cheberko from the Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2026 international roster slot.

The move will not become official on the field immediately. Cheberko can be added to LAFC’s roster when Major League Soccer’s Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 13. Still, the acquisition offers an early glimpse into how LAFC is preparing for the second half of a season that continues to stretch across multiple competitions.

“Yevhen is a proven MLS defender with the versatility, technical quality and experience to strengthen our back line,” LAFC Co-President and General Manager John Thorrington said in a club statement. “He has competed at a high level throughout his career and understands what it takes to win.”

Cheberko arrives with nearly three full seasons of MLS experience and a résumé that includes meaningful matches at the highest levels of the league. Since joining Columbus from Croatian side NK Osijek in 2023, the 28-year-old appeared in 94 matches across all competitions and played more than 6,000 minutes for one of the league's most consistent clubs in recent history.

His time in Columbus coincided with some of the most successful years in Crew history. Cheberko was part of the squad that captured the 2023 MLS Cup title and helped the club win Leagues Cup in 2024 — both notably against LAFC — while also reaching the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Final.

That experience appears to be a significant factor for an LAFC side that remains active on several fronts and has regularly emphasized roster depth during long stretches of the season.

The trade also comes at a relatively modest acquisition cost. LAFC parted with a 2026 international roster slot rather than allocation money or a player, making the move a low-risk opportunity to add a defender who has already proven capable of contributing in MLS.

Cheberko's role in Columbus changed considerably this season. After becoming a regular contributor during previous campaigns, he played sparingly in league action in 2026. Crew general manager Issa Tall noted that Cheberko had expressed a desire to move and that both sides felt a summer departure was the best solution.

“He could have signed anywhere as a free agent,” Tall said, via Brianna Mac Kay of the Columbus Dispatch. “The discussion I've had with him for a few months was he wanted to move, and it was best to part ways this summer.”

The Crew exercised an option to extend Cheberko's contract through the end of the season before completing the trade, allowing Columbus to receive compensation rather than lose him without a return.

From LAFC's perspective, the transaction adds another experienced center back to a group that already includes several established options. Competition for minutes figures to be intense, but that depth could become increasingly important as the club balances MLS play with additional tournament commitments later this year.

Cheberko also brings substantial experience outside MLS. Before arriving in Columbus, he made 61 appearances for NK Osijek in Croatia's top division and spent time with Austrian Bundesliga side LASK. Earlier in his career, he logged 61 appearances with Zorya Luhansk in Ukraine and progressed through Ukraine's youth national team system, appearing 64 times from the U-16 through U-21 levels.

At the senior international level, Cheberko has earned two caps for Ukraine since making his debut in 2020.

For now, LAFC will wait until the secondary transfer window opens next month before formally integrating its newest defender. But Tuesday's move makes it clear that the club is continuing to prioritize experience. Experience that will be put to the test when MLS returns with a much-anticipated El Tráfico in Carson on July 19.