La Liga side Real Betis reportedly nearing deal for Columbus Crew star Cucho Hernandez

Real Betis are reportedly on the verge of signing Colombia international and Columbus Crew star Cucho Hernandez for a reported fee of $16M + add-ons.

The 25-year-old won MLS Cup with the Eastern Conference side in 2023 and was named MVP of the championship game. In 2024, he was the runner-up for overall MLS MVP.

The Colombian is widely regarded as one of the best overall players in MLS.

GIVEMESPORTconfirmed an initial report from Pipe Sierra, who was first to report the reported transfer.

Hernandez scored 19 goals and recorded 14 assists in 27 regular season appearances for the club in 2024, leading them to a CONCACAF Champions Cup final and a Leagues Cup title. In addition, he led them to the No. 2 overall seed in the MLS postseason.

Betis, who roster U.S. international Johnny Cardoso, sit ninth in La Liga but have advanced to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Conference League -- with the next round in two weeks time.

Hernandez will compete for minutes with Congo international Cedric Bakambu.

Across his entire time in MLS, Hernandez scored 44 goals and recorded 28 assists in 70 regular season appearances for the Crew, adding eight goal contributions in eight career MLS Cup Playoff matches.

Hernandez was originally signed from English club Watford in June, 2022 for a reported fee of $10M. He had prior experience in La Liga, scoring 11 goals in 81 appearances between Huesca, Mallorca and Getafe.

If the deal gets over the line, Hernandez could debut this coming weekend against Celta Vigo in La Liga action. If the deal collapses, Columbus' first competitive match of the season kicks on Feb. 22 against the Chicago Fire.