The Colorado Rapids have signed defender Axel Sjoberg to a three-year contract extension, the MLS side announced late Thursday.
Salary details of the deal were not disclosed, but the extension for the towering 6-foot-7 defender will go into effect following the 2017 season. The contract also contains a team option for 2021.
“Securing Axel for the next three years was a top priority for us this season,” Rapids interim general manager Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “Axel’s level of commitment and work ethic have made him one of the best defenders in Major League Soccer and we look forward to his continued contributions for years to come.”
The 26-year-old Sjoberg was the 14th pick of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by the Rapids after playing four years at Marquette University. He broke out in 2016, his second year in MLS, grabbing a spot in the MLS Best XI for the season.
Sjoberg was also among the three finalists for the league’s Defender of the Year award.
Sources: Arriola drawing transfer interest
He has played 51 games in MLS and scored two goals in the league.
The Stockholm-born defender had occupied an international player slot for the Rapids, but will no longer do so after receiving his U.S. green card.