Cosmos to announce Haji Wright signing on Monday, according to reports

The New York Cosmos are on the verge of a major player acquisition, according to Howard Megdal of the New York Times. Megdal is reporting that the club could announce the signing of 17-year old Haji Wright on Monday, with the player expected to join the NASL side's first team immediately.

Wright is one of the jewels of the United States Soccer system, and has been in electric form for the U17 side. The largest questions surrounding the Los Angeles Galaxy academy product centered on whether he'd begin his career in MLS, or head straight to Europe, where several UEFA Champions League regulars were closely monitoring his development. Instead, Wright looks set to take the route less traveled, where he'll have the opportunity to play alongside Marcos Senna and Raul, and probably has an easier path to first team minutes.

United States U17 coach Richie WIlliams had the following to say about the player earlier in the month (via Grantland):

"He’s tall, he’s athletic, he can run. He’s strong on the ball. He can use both feet. Technically, he’s very good. He has a great ability to run at players. He can score goals or set up goals."

Galaxy academy director Peter Vagenas also had some comments for the Grantland article:

"For his age, he has a pretty high level combination of technique and athleticism. He’s a player that obviously exudes a lot of confidence. If Haji puts himself in the right day-to-day environment and situation, I think he has a very good chance to [debut with the senior team when he’s 19 or 20 and be an impact player]."

One would assume that Wright could play anywhere across the Cosmos front line, based on his use with the national team. Should Megdal's report prove accurate, this will be just another thing to look forward to when the NASL season kicks off in a week.