Are the LA Galaxy back? Big-name signings provide much-needed optimism

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

The LA Galaxy have completed the big-name signings of Kyogo Furuhashi, Hirving Lozano and Sergi Roberto as they attempt to mount a late-season playoff challenge.

The record MLS Cup champions are once again searching for an identity. Since the glory years of the early 2010s ended, the Galaxy have struggled to be consistently competitive in the league.

Despite still managing to make high-profile signings and drawing solid crowds, the Galaxy have fallen behind noisy neighbors LAFC both in terms of off-field relevance and on-pitch success.

Their triumphant 2024 season, which culminated in them winning a record-extending sixth MLS Cup, can safely be described as an anomaly at this point. It was the first time in a decade that they had even advanced beyond the quarter-finals in the playoffs.

It was business as usual again in 2025, when they were among the worst teams in MLS and didn't qualify for the post-season at all. They are currently two points adrift of the playoff line after recording just five wins in 19 regular-season games.

Galaxy make big moves

Since that 2024 final against Red Bull New York, the Galaxy have been hamstrung by the absence of superstar playmaker Riqui Puig. The Spaniard played through a torn ACL in the Western Conference Final and hasn't been on the pitch since, after suffering a setback ahead of the 2026 season.

He has now spent two years on the season-ending injury list in order to allow the Galaxy to sign an additional Designated Player, but they have not managed to adequately replace him.

It is, admittedly, a difficult task within the framework of MLS's stringent roster rules because you can't really sign a like-for-like replacement of similar quality unless the player in question agrees to a short-term contract.

Nobody could have anticipated that Puig would be out for two full seasons - or that Marco Reus, who could have been a possible replacement, would turn out to be a massively underwhelming signing.

The Galaxy have been playing catch-up, but the fact that they are only two points off a playoff spot has Greg Vanney believing that there is still everything to play for this season.

And the Galaxy have certainly acted like it in the market so far in this secondary transfer window. The loss of Gabriel Pec to Cruzeiro stings, but they at least turned a profit on him after receiving a club-record $13.5 million.

On the incoming front, they have made some potentially shrewd transfers. Former Celtic hero Kyogo Furuhashi was the first big name to join this summer, and he has arrived in a roster-friendly deal as he will somewhat surprisingly not occupy a Designated Player spot.

Instead, that slot is now filled by Hirving Lozano, who has joined from SoCal rivals San Diego after being frozen out. Chucky fell out with the club hierarchy last season and was bluntly told that he would never play for them again.

He refused to leave in January because he didn't want to relocate his family, and the Galaxy have now offered him the opportunity to stay in the area. It seems to be a win-win scenario.

Chucky has a reputation for being a difficult character, but Vanney and company have done their due diligence on him and are confident that he won't disrupt the locker room.

Crucially, although he is a DP, Lozano has only joined the Galaxy on loan. There is effectively no risk attached to this deal. If it doesn't work out, he'll just return to San Diego.

Obviously, he hasn't played a competitive game since late 2025, so he may not hit the ground running, but his performances last season should be cause for optimism.

He didn't play much, but when he got on the pitch, he was undeniably dangerous. The 31-year-old produced a very respectable nine goals and 10 assists in 1,833 minutes last year.

In addition to these two attacking signings, the Galaxy have also announced the acquisition of former Barcelona utility man Sergi Roberto. He has joined on a free transfer after leaving Como.

The Spaniard can play at full-back and in midfield, so he will give Vanney tactical flexibility and veteran leadership. Roberto was previously one of Barcelona's captains before he joined Como in 2024.

At 34, he certainly isn't the most exciting signing, but he could raise the team's floor with his experience and proven quality. Of course, there is no guarantee that these three transfers will hit, but Galaxy fans should be cautiously optimistic that this season won't be another write-off.

Written by

Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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