Atlético Ottawa announced the signing of midfielder Gabriel Antinoro on Thursday. The 18-year-old has agreed to a two-year deal with the club ahead of the 2023 Canadian Premier League season.

Antinoro is a youth product from CF Montréal’s academy and has spent the last two preseasons with the first team, including this year in Florida. He was a standout player throughout his time in the academy and the U-23s, and even featured against Ottawa in a preseason game in 2022.

Last season, the 18-year-old, who qualifies as a domestic player, also participated in an international youth cup in Italy (Viareggio Cup) with Bologna, where he registered one assist as they made it to the quarter-finals.

“Gabriel is an exciting young player who was coveted by many teams and we are delighted to have him join our club,” said Fernando López, CEO, Atlético Ottawa. “He is a young, talented player who has already shown his quality throughout his time at the CF Montréal academy. We thank CF Montréal for their work to make this move happen and we are thrilled with the growing relationship between our two clubs.”

Head coach Carlos González added: “Antinoro is a player that we have been following since last season, he is fast, technically gifted, and performs well both in reduced spaces and running in behind. He has shown the ability to adapt to new environments and perform. We are looking forward to helping him develop in the next stage of his hopefully promising career”.