The Vancouver Whitecaps confirmed that they have made a huge signing this offseason when they have announced that they have signed Costa Rican international midfielder Christian Bolanos to a multi-year deal. 

Bolanos most recently played at Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa and has played for numerous clubs in Europe including FC Copenhagen. The 31-year old will bring a lot of experience and midfield stability to the Whitecaps. 

Great midfielder for Costa Rica

Bolanos was one of the main cogs in the Costa Rica team that made it to the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup. Bolanos was also the main set piece taker and played key roles for a Costa Rica team that relied on defense and set pieces, through which they scored crucial goals against the likes of Uruguay and Italy. He will provide midfield stability as he did with Costa Rica as a leader in the middle of the park. The Ticos played three at the back at the World Cup, which meant the midfielders had to be box to box players and they played their roles to perfection. 

What can he bring to Vancouver?

Bolanos will bring a lot of experience to the Whitecaps. Playing in Europe and in two World Cups will help Vancouver a lot when it comes to the development of young players on the team. However, obviously Bolanos has the main goal in mind. 

"My goal is to help this club win a championship," said Bolanos to reporters (via MLS.com). 

Vancouver lost in the MLS Cup Playoffs to the eventual champions in the Portland Timbers and will look to improve on that disappointing loss, which was made even worse because the Whitecaps managed to get a result in the away first leg before falling at home to the Timbers. Signing Bolanos is a step in the right direction. He may not be young, but he will provide valuable experience to the team. 

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About the author
Vijay Vemu
Vijay is a sports journalist who covers mainly the NBA and soccer. He is a credential reporter on the Chicago Fire and also covers NBA for VAVEL as well. He is also a editor for Mash Chicago, the publication of the Chicago Tribune. He is also a contributor at SB Nation's Blog A Bull and Big East Coast Bias as well as writing on European Soccer as well. He plans on attending the University of Illnois at Chicago (UIC) in the fall with a major in computer science. You can follow him on Twitter : @VJVemu