Galactic Notebook: Transfer Talk begins and LA Galaxy's potential All-Stars
“Is the LA Galaxy back?”
That’s probably been the most asked question surrounding the 2024 LA Galaxy midway through the MLS season.
The Galaxy’s turnaround from a fragile club in 2023 to a good team that’s yet to hit its ceiling is what’s brought lots of optimism surrounding this season.
Greg Vanney’s side sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with 28 points through 17 games. LA has the second-best attack in the West with 31 goals scored but has yet to fix its defensive issues with 25 goals allowed.
“I'm not happy enough…I feel like we could play much better. Still we need more points. We should be in the top of the league at this point,” said LA Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida following the Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire.
That response answers the questions asked at the start - the Galaxy isn’t back. LA is a good team, not a great one. It’s still yet to win three games in a row under Vanney and their defense remains suspect.
The attacking high-quality pieces will keep LA in games when they go down but that isn’t a sustainable way to approach the game. Nonetheless, this is a good start to the season for the Galaxy with the expectations that they can close out the season among the higher seeds in the West.
With the transfer window inching ever closer to opening, the Galaxy has a real opportunity to add pieces that can help the club continue/improve this pace. Let’s get into the Galaxy’s recent and potential transfer movement as well as the potential players that could represent LA at the MLS All-Star Game.
The Final Puzzle Piece?
Multiple reports have stated the LA Galaxy is in pole position to land free agent and Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus. The German attacking midfielder is one of the most respected players around the globe and was one of the best at his position during the 2010s.
Reus is a player who knows how to operate in the final third. His attacking instincts are top-notch as his IQ and finishing abilities have yet to regress much. The 35-year-old recorded six goals and eight assists in 1,601 minutes in the Bundesliga.
The biggest critique of Reus is his inability to stay healthy. He’s been an injury-riddled player and that’s cost him appearances in multiple international tournaments. He’s also never been able to get Dortmund over the hump of winning the German league as the star player.
But with the LA Galaxy, he’s not going to be lifting all that load. This won’t be Marco Reus’ team the second he puts pen to paper but rather he’s going to one of the many attacking options that can break you down.
The most ideal position for Reus would be as a second striker coming off the bench. He doesn’t have the pace to play out wide like in his prime days but he can navigate the middle of the pitch well with his close control and vision in those areas.
The Galaxy doesn’t have a player that screams “goal-scoring threat” on the bench. Miguel Berry has had opportunities to show he can do that but he’s more of a hard-working number nine than an out-and-out goal scorer. The Galaxy needs a player that provides more bite-up top and can be better in attacking scenarios when the opponent sits deep behind the ball. Reus checks off both those boxes.
LA still needs to work more on improving the backline but the club is banking on young players like Julian Aude. Jalen Neal, and Emiro Garces to improve as the season goes on to add more protection and depth for the club.
The potential addition of Reus doesn’t make the Galaxy contenders for MLS Cup immediately - you can only have the conversation if the backline can sort out its issues.
On the Liga MX Radar
The connection between Liga MX and LA Galaxy continues to grow.
Galaxy midfielder Daniel Aguirre has transferred to Club Deportivo Guadalajara, one of the biggest clubs in Mexico, for a fee of around $250K according to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert. The deal has been finalized by both clubs but Aguirre appeared on Chivas’ official preseason roster days before the official announcement. The 24-year-old was spotted in Chivas gear heading to preseason with the Mexican club.
Aguirre was a trialist signed by LA Galaxy II in 2021 and midway through the year, he was signed to a deal with the first team. The Redwood City, Calif. native has made 60 appearances across all competitions and recorded two goals and five assists for the LA Galaxy.
“Dan’s progression from Galaxy II member to regular first-team contributor is a source of pride for the Galaxy organization, said LA Galaxy General Manager Will Kuntz via press release. “We are grateful to Dan for his service to the club and wish him the best as he continues on this next step in his journey.”
Vanney had previously called Aguirre “Mr. Reliable” and a “Swiss Army knife” last season. Aside from his normal central midfield position, Aguirre has played as a wingback, attacking midfielder, and even as a winger in brief moments for the G’s.
Aguirre was in the final year of his contract after signing a one-year deal with three additional club option years back in 2021. He’s played 107 minutes in MLS during the current 2024 season. Edwin Cerrillo has been the preferred midfielder coming off the bench for Vanney this season - which has been a key factor in Aguirre’s lack of minutes when the Galaxy is fully healthy.
The transfer to Chivas will have Aguirre reunite with former teammate Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. He’ll have the opportunity to play against the LA Galaxy soon as Chivas is in the same group as the SoCal club for the 2024 edition of Leagues Cup.
It’s not just Aguirre attracting interest down south but also one of the Galaxy’s brightest talents.
Jonathan Perez has an interest from multiple Liga MX clubs according to Jovenes Futbolistas MX, with Deportivo Toluca F.C. being most advanced in talks with the young winger. Sources tell The Galactic Tribune that Atlético de San Luis is another club making a hard push to sign the 21-year-old.
Pérez has long been on the radar of Liga MX as he’s been through the youth ranks of the Mexican National Team. He’s represented El Tri at the U16, U18, U20, and U23 level. He recently made his first career MLS start in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire
Playing time has been hard to come by for the 21-year-old with just 223 minutes MLS minutes to his name since 2021. It’ll be even harder to make a breakthrough for consistent minutes given that the LA Galaxy reportedly spent close to $20 million on winger Gabriel Pec and Joseph Painstil.
Moving on from LA could be the move that is needed to advance the career of the 21-year-old. Efraín Álvarez’s transfer from the LA Galaxy to Club Tijuana last season saw the former Galaxy player take a leap forward on the pitch and tie his career-high in goal contributions (8) in his first season in Mexico.
Like Pérez, Álvarez has represented Mexico at the youth level but his lack of playing time in his last few seasons with the Galaxy saw him no longer be on El Tri’s radar. His performances for Tijuana in the Liga MX Clausura earned him a call-up of Mexico’s U23 side at the Maurice Revello Tournament.
Seeing the resurgence of Álvarez’s post-LA Galaxy career shows that a move to Liga MX can be the right career move.
Potential All-Stars
MLS released a graphic of the top Vote-Getters for the upcoming 2024 MLS All-Star game in Columbus - with two LA Galaxy players on the graphic.
It’s no surprise to see Riqui Puig near the top of voting for attacking midfielders. The Spaniard has been a key reason for the LA Galaxy’s electric attack in 2024 with his six goals and five assists.
Puig has scored three goals in his last three games (All while rocking blonde hair) and has been the standout player for the G’s.
The additions of Pec and Paintsil have aided in providing Puig outlets to progress the ball in possession. With more direct runners, the passing options open up for Puig to pick out to run the show for the Galaxy.
Puig leads the league in touches (1,722), progressive carrying distance (3,817 yards), passes entering the final third (179), and progressive passes (215). He’s an offensive juggernaut (he doesn’t defend, look at his percentile ranks on that side of the game) that puts everything together for the Galaxy. In a way, this team will live and die by the Spaniard’s play on the pitch.
Just look at how high he ranks in almost all of the key stats for attacking midfielders. He’s more than deserving of being a starter for this All-Star game.
Miki Yamane established himself among the best right backs in the J-League and already playing at a high level in his first six months of MLS action.
The 30-year-old Japanese defender has slipped in perfectly to what Vanney wants from a full back; being an asset during the build-up and holding your own in defensive moments.
Yamane’s role of playing as an inverted full back takes full advantage of his technical ability on the ball. He’s an agile player who dribbles out of pressure and is smart enough to know how to manage different moments in possession.
The stats may not be eye-popping but the eye test shows a player that is so valuable to the Galaxy’s attack and defensive structure. He’s an intelligent player who prioritizes his positioning to make up for his lack of pace.
Most coaches would rather have a player with good intangibles than players who solely rely on their athleticism - that's why watching Yamane is so key to recognizing how good he is.
There is still room to improve for Yamane as he’s had a couple of passes he wishes he had back but that’s going to be a risk when you rely so much on possession.
It’ll be interesting to see if he does get the All-Star nod in his first season in the U.S. considering the other players at his position are MLS veterans. Yamane’s quick adaptation to MLS and consistent play is why he’s deserving of the nod.