LA Galaxy sign forward Emmanuel Boateng

The Galaxy have had a busy morning.

After trading their first round SuperDraft pick and officially signing Mike Magee, LA have announced the signing of young Ghanian forward Emmanuel Boateng. Arriving from Sweden club Helsingborg after attending UC Santa Barbara, the 21-year old will take up an international slot.

"Emmanuel is a talented, young, attacking player who will add valuable depth to our offense," said LA Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena. "He will continue to develop as a player and we are excited to add him to our roster."

While at the Cate School, Boateng won honors as the 2012 Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year, given to the top high-school soccer player in the United States. He was also named the CIF Southern Division 7 Player of the Year in both 2011 and 2012, leading his team to a 42-2-1 record and CIF Southern Division 7 Championships in both years. In his final season at Cate School, the Ghanaian scored 32 goals and added 19 assists. Boateng was a dual-sport star, featuring in track and reaching the quarterfinals in the 100 and 200 meters in the 2011 CIF Southern Division.

Boateng skipped his senior year at Cate School to attend University of California, Santa Barbara, where he made an immediate impact as a freshman, scoring four goals. That year, he earned honors as Big West’s Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Big West.

After playing for Ventura County Fusion in the PDL during the summer of 2013, Boateng signed his first professional contract with Helsingborgs IF of Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top-flight professional division. Since 2013, he has made 37 appearances, scoring four goals.

This is an intriguing signing. Currently, the two glaring deficiencies on the Galaxy roster are a lack of youth and speed, and Boateng addresses both those needs. A former 2011 Milk Cup MVP, Boateng brings pace and attacking flair to LA.

Similar to Ariel Lassiter, another exciting young prospect, expect Boateng to be groomed with Los Dos this season.