Minnesota United has plans to announce a Major League Soccer contract for striker Christian Ramirez, a prolific goal-scorer for the Loons over the past three seasons in the North American Soccer League.

A once-wide gap on salary terms between Ramirez and team is now “very close,” United coach Adrian Heath told KFXN-FM on Wednesday. An announcement is expected sometime this month.

United already has signed two players from last year’s roster in the second-tier NASL. Fullbacks Kevin Venegas and Justin Davis agreed to contracts in November that will pay them about $100,000 each next season. A fourth player, center back Brent Kallman of Woodbury, seems a good bet to be the fourth player from last year’s team to make the jump to MLS. Related Articles Loons’ late rally falls short in 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew

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Ramirez, 25, has scored 51 goals in three seasons with the Loons. The Garden Grove, Calif., native led the NASL with 18 goals in 31 games in 2016 and was named to the NASL’s Best XI all-star team. He had 13 goals in 2015 and a NASL-high 20 goals in 2014.

United added five players in the Major League Soccer expansion draft Tuesday, including midfielder Johan Venegas via trade with the Montreal Impact. Venegas has played multiple attacking positions, from forward to winger, for Montreal and the Costa Rica national team.

Ramirez joined United in 2013 after playing for the Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer League in 2013. He played college soccer at at Concordia University in Irvine, Calif.

Heath plans to fly to Costa Rica and meet with Venegas.

After being traded from to Minnesota in exchange for defender Chris Duvall, Venegas tweeted to United fans on Tuesday: “You can count on my word that, minute after minute, I will give my best to be worthy of your trust.”

Heath also plans to be in Costa Rica to watch the U.S. under-20 men’s national team, featuring forward Jeremy Ebobisse. play Costa Rica will play Dec. 17 and 19.

Minnesota holds the first overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 13, and Ebobisse is projected to be the top selection.

Ebobisee, of Bethesda, Md., is a 6-foot, 175-pound forward who played at Duke before giving up his final two years of college eligibility to join MLS. He signed a contract with the league and was on loan with the Charleston Battery of USL beginning in August.

Ebobisse had nine goals and seven assists in two seasons with Duke. He had a hat trick in the U.S.’s 5-3 loss to the Netherlands on Oct. 7.