Will Kuntz and Greg Vanney got busy again not long after their celebrations of the 2024 MLS Cup and have already made plenty of moves in preparation for the 2025 campaign.
As the season opener approaches, it’s time to review the LA Galaxy’s activity in the transfer window and make some conclusions about the new-look squad
This series will start by going over this year’s departures, getting the emotions out of the way before making space to analyze the team’s new additions. We’ll wrap up by rating the window as a whole and looking at what the first transfer market of the season could mean for the Galaxy’s prospects in 2025.
Departures
Saying goodbye to beloved players is never easy, especially after they just helped your team make history. Many Galaxy fans have had to mourn the loss of some of their favorite players while cursing the limitations of the MLS’s budget rules, which has forced the cup holders to make some difficult decisions.
Listed below are the casualties of these dynasty-preventing regulations.
Gaston Brugman – traded to Nashville SC in exchange for Sean Davis.
Signed in July, 2022 from Italian Serie B side Parma Calcio 1913, Gaston Brugman quickly became a fan favorite. His experience and mastery on the ball made him an immediate contributor to a struggling LA Galaxy side. Equally as adept at recovering the ball as at making a line-splitting pass or run, Brugman’s play added much needed dynamism in all phases of play.
Despite being injured for a good chunk of 2024, Brugman still played an important role for the LA Galaxy during their cup run last year.
Off the pitch, Brugman could often be seen spending time with his teammates, especially Riqui Puig. Puig joined the LA Galaxy one month after Brugman and in their time playing together the pair developed a very close bond.
His veteran presence and brotherly attitude was also instrumental in helping young South American players like Julian Aude and recent addition Emiro Garcés acclimate to life in a new country and the standards of a new league.
With his combination of culture and experience, Brugman represented a key part of the Galaxy’s locker room. His departure leaves behind a vacuum that could be difficult to fill for the incoming Sean Davis.
While Davis has a similar amount of professional first team experience now as Gaston Brugman did when he first joined the Galaxy (about 10 years), Brugman built his career in the Italian Serie A and brought experience from a higher level.
Davis will also find it difficult to make a similar impact on the South American members of the squad. However, his cultural background does allow him to connect more with the Americans in the team, such as the young Tucker Lepley and the more experienced John Nelson and John McCarthy, allowing these members to potentially share a similar dynamic as the South American cohort did in 2023.
Sean Davis is a quality player who will no doubt put in good performances in a Galaxy shirt, but Gaston Brugman is a special talent that fans and Riqui Puig will be justified in missing dearly.
Martin Cáceres – Contract expired and option declined, Joined Paraguay’s Libertad
Another South American leader, Martin Cáceres was at times the lone bright spot in a struggling Galaxy defense. Although he was part of the defense that conceded a record 67 goals in 2023, Cáceres was frequently the only member of that backline that inspired much confidence.
The Uruguayan began taking up less minutes towards the end of his Galaxy tenure as Jalen Neal began playing a larger role and Maya Yoshida and Emiro Garcés were introduced to the team, but like Brugman, he was still a key member of the team thanks to his contributions off the pitch.
Cáceres was another mentor to the team’s young South Americans. He was especially key for Garcés as the young at-the-time 22-year-old dealt with his first move away from his native Colombia and an injury which set back his integration to the first team.
This reporter got to experience a bit of Cáceres’s mentorship in action while staying behind working on a piece after a press conference, when Cáceres walked alongside Garcés as he hobbled through the media room in crutches. Both smiled as they greeted me and Martin joked that Garcés was all broken as he guided him out of the stadium and towards his new home.
That type of almost fatherly behavior set Cáceres apart and makes his departure difficult for those who had the privilege to work and play alongside him.
Dejan Joveljic – Entering final year of contract after a career year, Sold to sporting KC for $4,000,000
The growth Dejan Joveljic showed during his time in Los Angeles is remarkable. He joined the LA Galaxy in 2021 as a 21-year-old looking to make his mark and now leaves as a champion to become a designated player for another MLS club.
After becoming loved for his contributions as a super sub but loathed for his inability to carry the Galaxy’s attack on his own, Joveljic finally stepped into the starting striker role in 2024. His detractors did little to stop him as he spent the previous 3 years blocking out the noise and refining his game to the point where he made 20 goal contributions last year, including a goal in the MLS Cup final.
New signing Chris Ramirez and Miguel Berry face a tall order in replacing a striker who has spent the last four years mastering Greg Vanney’s play style. Their experience is definitely an important asset, but they’ll have to maximize it in order to fill the Joveljic-sized hole up top.
Jalen Neal – Sold to CF Montréal in exchange for $450K 2025 GAM, a 2025 international roster slot, and $200k in 2026 GAM
Jalen Neal knows probably more than anyone what it means to be a G. The Lakewood native spent over 10 years of his life learning, playing, and growing into a man and an elite talent with the LA Galaxy.
In that decade, Neal graduated from the Galaxy academy into the first team, scored his first professional goal, began making his mark on the USMNT, and overcame debilitating setbacks on the way to lifting the MLS Cup with his boyhood club.
The entire opening act of this young starlet’s career has been drenched in blue, white, and gold. As the next act in his journey begins in Montreal, the impact and legacy he leaves behind in Southern California will be remembered for as long as kids are playing soccer in Lakewood.
Mark Delgado – Entering final year of contract after recently buying a home in LA, sold to LAFC for $200K in 2025 GAM and $200k in 2026 GAM
Mark Delgado has been one of Greg Vanney’s favorite players for a long time, going back to the treble they won together at Toronto FC in 2017. It didn’t take long for Galaxy supporters to join the Delgado fan club after he was signed before the start of the 2023 season.
Delgado’s tenacity and professionalism both on and off the pitch made him a valuable asset for Vanney, a fantastic team mate, and a favorite to watch for fans. “Mr. Consistent” wouldn’t be a bad nickname for a player who consistently dropped serviceable if not crucial performances every time he was called on when he was available, which was often.
Delgado’s new team are already enjoying the benefits of having him on their side of the freeway with supporters of the black and gold quickly understanding the hype. He deserves every bit of love he receives with his new fanbase, but watching him continue excel will make for a gut wrenching experience for Galaxy fans, especially during El Tráfico.
Each of these players represents a significant loss to the LA Galaxy. Their collective contributions on and off the pitch were key to last year’s cup run.
Will the Galaxy’s new additions be able to pick up the slack? Come back next week as we take a look at who Will Kuntz has brought in.
PHOTO: Andre Bannis/LAXSportsNation
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