Crew SC signs Ghana international Mohammed Abu

Columbus Crew SC announced Tuesday the club has signed Ghana international midfielder Mohammed Abu from Norwegian outfit Stromsgodset IF, bringing on the 25-year-old as a Special Discovery Player.

Abu made 152 appearances with Stromsgodset and has played at Rayo Vallecano, FC Lorient, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Manchester City in his club career, too.

A move to Central Ohio might be difficult, but Abu says two factors make him "very, very, very, very comfortable" in Columbus: for one, he is joining fellow Ghanaian footballers Harrison Afful, Jonathan Mensah, and Lalas Abubakar at the club.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, his wife, while born in Ghana, grew up in the Columbus area.

"I've been to the city maybe three or four times for my family," Abu told the club's official website. "For me, coming over to work hard while being around Ghanaian players that I know very well - it helps me know this is a place I should be. I know that I will be happy and those are all things that encouraged me to come to Columbus.

"My wife is from (Columbus)," he added. "That makes everything much more exciting. It was something I was hoping for and she was as well. To come to MLS and into a new culture that I can learn and see how a new league works. I am really pleased and just excited to be here. I am ready to work."

For his part, head coach Gregg Berhalter is quite pleased with the acquisition too, as it allows him more options in midfield alongside Wil Trapp and Toni Tchani.

"Mohammed is a talented, technical player that we believe will fit well into our system and style of play," Berhalter said in a statement. "Across his experience in Norway, France, and Spain, we believe that a combination of his experience, skill set, and character will be a good fit for Crew SC.

"We are glad to have him in Columbus and it is certainly an added bonus that he is familiar with the area as his wife has lived in Central Ohio."

Abu joins Crew SC as a Special Discovery Signing, a designation given to just one player on each team's roster that allows the club to pay his transfer fee (up to $500,000) in installments over the course of his contract rather than in one lump sum up front. It's a classification that can only be used on players 27 or under.