Football
ESPN staff 6y

Colorado Rapids complete signing of striker Yannick Boli

The Colorado Rapids announced on Thursday the signing of Ivory Coast international striker Yannick Boli, who last played for Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang.

Colorado adds Boli, 30, with targeted allocation money after he completed a medical in London earlier this week. Dalian bought out Boli's contract earlier this year so they could sign Nico Gaitan and Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid.

While Boli is capable of playing on the wing, he is considered to be a true No. 9, and will compete with Dominique Badji and recently acquired Joe Mason for playing time in manager Anthony Hudson's 3-5-2.

"Yannick is a very strong addition to our attack," Rapids general manager Padraig Smith said in a statement. "He's a natural goal-scorer, and his pace and boldness inside the box will help create space for others. We look forward to welcoming him to Colorado."

Boli was born in the Paris suburb of Saint-Maur-des Fosses but has represented Ivory Coast at international level, making his sole appearances for the Elephants in 2017. He also represented the Ivory Coast at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Boli joined Paris Saint-Germain as an 11-year-old, eventually turning professional with the club in 2005. He later went on loan to Le Havre and was later transferred to Nimes in 2010.

Boli then played with clubs in Bulgaria and Ukraine before landing in 2014 with Russia side Anzhi Makhachkala, where spent parts of three seasons. He led the second-tier Russian National League in scoring during the 2014-15 season, a campaign that saw Anzhi win promotion to the Russia Premier League. Overall, he scored 30 goals in 67 league and cup appearances.

He joined second-tier side Dalian Yifang in 2017, where he scored 16 goals in helping the club gain promotion to the CSL.

"This is an exciting next step in my career," Boli said. "The Rapids are a club with an ambitious vision for the future, and I look forward to bringing that vision to life. I can't wait to get started."

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