Official: MNUFC Acquire Kevin Molino and Patrick McLain from OCSC

The Loons announced the completion of a blockbuster trade on Thursday, a trade that is now thought to be tied with the most expensive in league history.

Minnesota United gave Orlando City $400,000 of General Allocation Money and $250,000 of Targeted Allocation Money in exchange for Trinidad & Tobago midfielder Kevin Molino and goalkeeper Patrick McClain.

Molino had been with Orlando since 2011, when they were still in the USL. The 26 year-old made the transition to MLS in with the Lions under Adrian Heath. Although his first season was curtailed by injuries, Molino burst onto the scene last year with 11 goals and eight assists.

Keeper Patrick McLain hails from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. McClain has played as a backup in Chicago and at the now-defunct Chivas USA, while also starting almost 60 games in the ssecond-tier USL.

The trade is thought to be tied with the deal that saw Eddie Johnson move from Seattle to D.C. in 2013 for a rumored $650,000 in allocation money.

Rumors have been swirling since the SuperDraft that Heath was interested in bringing Molino to Minnesota. The midfielder was said to be unhappy with his current contract, and was eager to join up with the man who’d previously managed him for five years at Orlando.

“I spoke with Adrian and he asked me if I wanted to be a part of Minnesota United and join the team and that was it – I have worked with him for a long time, so it was an easy decision,” Molino said to the club in their official release.

Molino is a versatile midfielder who can play on either wing or as a number 10 behind the striker. Heath praised the player’s ability to dribble, create, and score, saying “there’s nothing he can’t do with a football.”

The two newest loons will be joining the teammates in Arizona soon as the team continues their preseason preparations.

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