Atlético Ottawa has reportedly completed a major move, with Fabrizio Domínguez Castilla of FOX reporting that the CPL side has acquired Canadian striker Santiago López on loan from Pumas UNAM, with the deal set to run until the end of the semester — either June or July.

🚨#PUMAS

Atlético Ottawa de la Canadian Premier League será el nuevo equipo de Santiago López:

-Préstamo SIN opción a compra por el resto del semestre.
-Movimiento gestionado y pedido por la Asociación Canadiense de futbol. LO QUIEREN EN RITMO PARA EL MUNDIAL. https://t.co/GyUgHQSmmv

— Fabrizio Domínguez Castilla (@FabrizioDC_) April 11, 2026

The 20-year-old will now have a chance at regular first-team minutes, having played just nine minutes in the Liga MX Clausura so far. Across 12 appearances in all competitions, he has one goal and one assist, with his lone goal coming in the Concacaf Champions Cup in a 2-1 loss to Cavalry back in early 2025.

It’s a significant addition for Ottawa, which needs attacking reinforcements following the departures of Sam Salter and David Rodríguez, both key contributors to the club’s title win, with the latter scoring a brace in the final.

The most intriguing aspect of the move involves Canada Soccer, with the federation reportedly encouraging the loan so López can gain “more rhythm” ahead of the FIFA World Cup, according to Domínguez Castilla. A senior national team call-up appears unlikely given Canada’s current depth at striker. Despite the injury to Promise David, options such as Jonathan David, Tani Oluwaseyi, Cyle Larin, Daniel Jebbison, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Theo Bair remain ahead in the pecking order, along with uncapped forward Aribim Pepple, who has been in strong form with Plymouth Argyle. Still, the federation may be keeping a closer eye on the Liga MX pool, especially after Marcelo Flores impressed during the March international window.

With the loan expected to end in June or July, López could be available for roughly 10 to 14 matches, should he be available for all of Ottawa's next games, excluding the clash against Cavalry on Sunday.

López was previously called up to the Canadian men’s national team during the October 2024 window, when Canada defeated Panama 2-1 in Toronto, though he did not feature. He has also impressed at the youth level, recording three goals and two assists in four matches at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

Atlético Ottawa returns to CPL action on Sunday with a trip west to face Cavalry in a rematch of the 2025 Canadian Premier League Final. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm MT / 4:00 pm ET.