Already busy recruiting Jake Mulraney, Nicholas Gioacchini and Iván Angulo this mid-season, a fourth Orlando City SC signing could soon be on the way – Wilder Cartagena.
This is according to Orlando-based sports reporter and analyst for DIRECTV Perú, @alonso_inca. Yesterday, he claimed the Peruvian international midfielder is Exploria Stadium bound.
📡 #EnVivo con Alonso Contreras @alonso_inca, quien nos informa sobre Wilder Cartagena🇵🇪 y su posible pase al Orlando City 🇺🇸. #CONEXIONDIRECTVPE 🌐 pic.twitter.com/RsQhb2D1S0
— DIRECTV Perú (@DIRECTVPeru) July 29, 2022
On paper, a move for Wilder Cartagena makes sense.
After all, back on July 19, Orlando City SC traded Jhegson Méndez to Los Angeles FC.
Since Méndez’s departure, Oscar Pareja has only been able to call on César Araújo, Joey DeZart, Andrés Perea and Júnior Urso in central midfield.
With Wilder Cartagena strongly rumoured to be the Lions’ latest signing, Orlando City UK found out more about the Peruvian midfielder.
Who is Wilder Cartagena?
Wilder Cartagena is a 27-year-old Peruvian defensive midfielder who most recently played for Ittihad Kalba FC in the U.A.E.
Born in the Peruvian capital of Lima, Cartagena stands at 5 ft 10 in.
Starting his professional career with hometown giants Alianza Lima in 2012, he’s since played for five more clubs across four different countries.
Never settling at one club for too long, Wilder Cartagena has also represented Vitória Setúbal (Portugal), Veracruz (Mexico), Godoy Cruz (Argentina) and Ittihad Kalba FC (U.A.E.) so far.
Yet to be loaned during his career, his longest spell at one club actually came at Peruvian side Universidad San Martín between 2015 and 2017.
Wilder Cartagena is an experienced current senior international too.
Making his Peruvian national team debut in 2013, Cartagena has tallied 18 caps for Los Incas so far.
He was part of Ricardo Gareca’s 23 and 26-man squads for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2021 Copa América.
Making one appearance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he replaced André Carrillo from the bench in Peru’s final Group C game, a 0-2 win over Australia.
Failing to qualify from Group C, Peru did however go all the way to the semi-final stage of the 2021 Copa América.
Narrowly defeated 1-0 by hosts Brazil, Peru finished fourth after Colombia defeated them 3-2 in the third place play-off.
More recently, Cartagena was recently part of the Peru squad that agonisingly missed out on 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, losing the 2022 AFC/CONMEBOL Intercontinental Playoff 5-4 on penalties to Australia back on June 13.
If signed by Orlando City SC, Wilder Cartagena would become the fourth Peruvian to represent the Lions after Yoshimar Yotún, Carlos Ascues, and Pedro Gallese.
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