Columbus Crew SC reacquired winger Justin Meram from Orlando City on Friday, the MLS clubs confirmed.
Meram had spent seven years in Columbus but asked for a trade last year when talks over a new contract stalled, and now will return after an unproductive half-season in Orlando.
Columbus, which in January received over $1 million in allocation money from Orlando for Meram, will now pay $750,000 to get the 29-year-old back from the Lions.
Meram has played in 17 MLS matches for Orlando City this season, scoring only one goal and tallying three assists, after scoring 13 with seven assists for Columbus in 2017.
Last month, Meram told Pro Soccer USA that "this has probably been the hardest four months, maybe, of my life, my career" after extensive fan criticism.
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