José Aja

José Aja

Personal information
Full name	José Manuel Aja Livchich
Date of birth	(1993-05-10) 10 May 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Independiente Medellin
Number	3
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2017	Nacional	10	(0)
2015–2016	→ Racing Club (loan)	12	(2)
2016	→ Orlando City (loan)	10	(0)
2017	Orlando City	15	(0)
2018	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	17	(1)
2019	Unión Española	21	(0)
2020	Minnesota United	13	(1)
2021-2022	Santiago Wanderers	20	(2)
2022	River Plate	11	(1)
2022–2023	Independiente Santa Fe	46	(3)
2024–	Independiente Medellin	11	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2020

José Manuel Aja Livchich (born 10 May 1993) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Independiente Medellin.

Club career

Aja began his career with Nacional in 2014, also spending time on loan with Racing Club during the 2015–16 season.[1] He went on loan to Major League Soccer side Orlando City on 21 July 2016.[2]

On 24 February 2018, Aja was traded to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in exchange for $125,000 of Targeted Allocation Money and a conditional second-round pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.[3] Aja was released by Vancouver at the end of their 2018 season.[4]

On 14 February 2020, Aja was signed by Minnesota United FC.[5] He made his debut for Minnesota United on 12 July 2020 against Sporting Kansas City in the MLS is Back Tournament.^[citation needed] When the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States forced play to resume play with the MLS is Back Tournament tournament, Aja took on a major role in defence with the absence of other players,[6] but his contract option was not exercised at the end of the season.[7]

Aja moved to Santiago Wanderers[8] in the Primera Division de Chile, spending a short time there before moving to River Plate of the Uruguayan Primera División,[9] where he made nine appearances. He was then transferred to Independiente Santa Fe.[10]

References

1. "Racing Club de Montevideo » José Aja". racingclub.com.uy. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
2. "Orlando City Acquires Uruguayan Defender José Aja on Loan | Orlando City Soccer Club". orlandocitysc.com. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
3. "Whitecaps FC acquire centre back José Aja from Orlando City SC". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
4. "Whitecaps FC announce first roster moves ahead of 2019, exercise seven contract options". Whitecaps.com. 26 November 2018.
5. "MNUFC Signs Jose Aja". Minnesota United FC. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
6. "'Gentle giant' Jose Aja stands tall in absence of Loons' Ike Opara". Star Tribune.
7. "MLS contract options: Who's staying and who's going entering 2021 offseason | MLSSoccer.com".
8. "Santiago Wanderers de Valparaíso". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
9. "Defensor de Santiago Wanderers partió de Valparaíso y reforzó al River Plate de Uruguay". En Cancha (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
10. "Santa Fe sigue reforzando la defensa: José Aja, nuevo jugador". Diario AS (in Spanish). 25 June 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2023.

External links

• José Aja at Major League Soccer
• José Aja at Soccerway