The LA Galaxy’s Transfer Window (So Far): Pt. II
Part two of our series reviewing the LA Galaxy’s Winter transfer business takes stock of the team’s additions.
Sean Davis
Acquired from Nashville SC in exchange for Gastón Brugman and conditional $100k in GAM. The contract was bought out on February 19th.
Sean Davis’s short tenure at the LA Galaxy indicates the harsh business side of the game. Originally acquired on December 19th in exchange for Gaston Brugman, Davis is now a free agent after being placed on waivers by the LA Galaxy.
The LA Galaxy have struggled for salary cap space following their MLS Cup victory in 2024. As a result, they’ve had to get rid of some big contracts, including Gaston Brugman’s $1.4 million deal. Rather than buy out Brugman’s contract directly, they traded for Davis and bought out his contract at a lower price.
Davis was earning a reported $1 million salary, and Nashville agreeing to pay a portion of the player’s salary led to even more savings for LA. Josh Guesman of Corner of the Galaxy estimated a potential $605k savings from buying out Davis instead of Brugman, with the possibility of earning an additional $100k in GAM should Brugman reach performance incentives with Nashville.
While Davis didn’t end up being an actual squad addition for 2025, his signing has surely made some of the following acquisitions possible.
Mathias “Zanka” Jørgensen
Acquired from Belgian Pro League side RSC Anderlecht on a two-year deal
Zanka is a veteran center-back with World Cup Experience. Signed to fill the void left behind by Martin Cáceres, Zanka actually represents an upgrade from the Uruguayan. Besides being three years younger, Zanka has made more tackles, won a higher percentage of tackles, and has completed more blocks and interceptions throughout his career than Cáceres.
With Maya Yoshida cemented as the team’s Captain, he will likely start over Zanka alongside Emiro Garcés. Don’t expect to see too much of Zanka at first, but he will be a good option to have on the subs bench and will likely share a good deal of minutes with Yoshida, who led the team in minutes played last year, as the season progresses and he gets more accustomed to Vanney’s playstyle.
Lucas Sanabria
Acquired from Uruguayan Primera División side Club Nacional de Fútbol on a five-year deal through to the end of 2029
Lucas Sanabria is a midfielder who has played most of his football in defensive midfield, imposing himself on the defensive side of the ball with good positional play while keeping a keen eye for driving his team forward. His appearances during the Galaxy’s matches at the Coachella Valley Invitational had moments reminiscent of the recently departed Gaston Brugman, with solid positioning leading to ball recoveries followed by sleek passes behind the defense.
Sanabria still has plenty of room to grow, with just one year of professional experience under his belt. Still, there is little doubt he will quickly develop into a talent that will help Greg Vanney execute his vision. His contract until 2029 ensures plenty of time for Sanabria to adapt to the Galaxy’s playstyle, reach his full potential in LA, and impress potential suitors across the Atlantic.
Elijah Wynder
Acquired from USL Championship side Louisville City FC on a three-year deal to end of 2027 with a club option for 2028. Wynder Was 2024 USL Championship Young POTY and USL Championship Players’ shield winner.
One would imagine the USL to be a talent factory for the MLS as the country’s second division, but in reality, it is an almost untapped market. While not ideal for the state of soccer in the United States, the lack of eyes from top clubs on the USL has opened an excellent opportunity for Will Kuntz to secure one of its top talents for the LA Galaxy.
Wynder played the last 5 seasons with their hometown team, Louisville City FC, before signing for Los Angeles’s original team in the largest USL-to-MLS transfer ever. He quickly developed into one of the USL’s most exciting prospects alongside his younger brother Josh (recently signed by Portuguese talent factory S.L. Benfica) in Kentucky.
He made a name for himself, partially for his talent, work ethic, and character. Combined with the guidance of Greg Vanney and training sessions with geniuses of the game such as Marco Reus and the recovering Riqui Puig, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wynder’s development grow at an even more expedited rate than it already has.
JT Marcinkowski
Signed as a free agent on a 2-year contract to the end of 2026 with an option for 2027.
JT Marcinkowksi is the latest addition to the Galaxy’s stacked lineup of goalkeepers. While it is extremely difficult to see Marcinkowksi taking minutes off of expected starter Novak Micovic or two-time MLS Cup Champion John McCarthy, it’s not difficult to see why he traded the Bay Area for Los Angeles.
Emotions were surely high as his time at his hometown club, San Jose Earthquakes, finally came to an end this year, so receiving the offer from the most successful club in MLS history must have been the perfect pick-me-up.
Christian Ramirez
- Acquired from the Columbus Crew in exchange for $250k 2025 GAM and $250k in conditional 2026 GAM
Replacing Dejan Joveljic is no small task, so Will Kuntz went for two qualified candidates who should be able to fill the gap. First up is So Cal native Christian Ramirez.
2025 will be Ramirez’s 10th year in the MLS, meaning he is well aware of what it takes to score in the league. His time with the Columbus Crew should excite Galaxy supporters, as he was an important part of the Crew’s 2023 MLS Cup run. His partnership with Cucho Hernandez also proved how effective he can be with top talent around him. With the Galaxy, he’ll be surrounded by the likes of Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, Marco Reus, and eventually Riqui Puig, giving him plenty of quality players to combine with.
Matheus Nascimento
- A one-year loan from Botafogo for 2025 with purchase options
LA Galaxy fans will also be excited by the acquisition of another young Brazilian starlet after seeing how well Gabriel Pec did during his first year in Los Angeles. After becoming the club’s youngest-ever debutant at 16, Nascimento made 23 appearances for Botafogo, one of Brazil’s top clubs, at just 17 years old. He impressed during this time, but an injury kept him out of the squad long enough for him to lose his place to older, more established strikers.
This opened up the opportunity for Will Kuntz to come in and offer Nascimento a loan deal and the chance to develop and gain visibility, just as Gabriel Pec did.
At this point, it is difficult to say when Greg Vanney will choose to integrate him into the starting 11, but Nascimento has the potential to be another diamond in the rough. Once acclimated, there’s a good chance that Kuntz’s reputation for finding and developing talent will grow even greater.
What Does All This Business Mean for the Galaxy?
PHOTO: m.nascimento_09/Instagram
While it’s been a difficult window for the LA Galaxy following their MLS Cup celebrations, Will Kuntz and Greg Vanney have done a fantastic job of shaking off the hangover and executing some shrewd business.
The losses in the midfield and attack are undeniably heavy, but the front office has bet on youth to lead the Galaxy to their 7th cup. The foundation for a dynasty is there, with so many young, genuinely exciting players on open-ended deals now on the books.
Sustainability is notoriously difficult in this league, but Kuntz and Vanney want to achieve just that. If their well-researched gambles pay off and players like Wynder, Nascimento, and Sanabria develop as expected, the next couple of years shouldn’t look too different from the triumph that was 2024.
There are still plenty of question marks over how the 2025 season will go for the LA Galaxy, but we should start getting some answers soon, with the season opener just a few days away.
The front office has done an admirable job of filling the gaps left behind by the departing champions so far, but I’d truly expect this squad to take shape in the coming transfer window. Acquisitions in the summer could be huge for the Galaxy in their bid to repeat the trick they pulled off last year.
The LA Galaxy have already proven that they’re back; now it’s time to prove they’re here to stay.
PHOTO: m.nascimento_09/Instagram
Discover more from Los Angeles Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Galaxy