Next year the long-mooted expansion team, San Diego FC, will finally join MLS. The fourth Californian member of the United States’ top league, San Diego will be looking to hit the ground running when they become the 30th MLS franchise.
When LAFC joined the league in 2018 they were led by Mexican international Carlos Vela, who proved to be both a top performer on the field and major commercial draw. San Diego will be hoping to secure a similarly high-profile star to help build momentum ahead of their MLS debut and look to be narrowing in on two major signings.
“We’re still very active and we’re hopeful to have a significant [player] signing soon,” San Diego CEO Tom Penn said last week.
San Diego close in on Chucky Lozano transfer
LAFC pulled off a major coup by bringing a top Mexican international to MLS in their debut season and San Diego are reportedly close to doing exactly that. The Athletic reports that Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano has agreed a deal that would see him leave PSV Eindhoven at the end of 2024 and join up with SDFC ahead of the new MLS campaign.
The fee is expected to be worth around $12 million, enough to break the transfer record for many existing MLS teams.
MAURICE VAN STEENEFE
Lozano is one of the most talented Mexican players of his generation and has a wealth of top level experience after moving to Europe as a 21-year-old. He has won three domestic league titles during spells with PSV and Napoli, becoming a key player for the national team in that time.
Will Sergio Ramos make MLS move to San Diego?
Another big-name player linked with San Diego is former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos. He has just completed a LaLiga campaign with Sevilla and played 36 games across all competitions, a testament to his enduring quality.
His current contract with Sevilla, his hometown team, expires at the end of June and he has not yet agreed terms on a new deal. Head coach Quique Sánchez Flores has confirmed that he will leave Sevilla this summer and the club looks set to experience a period of significant change, with Ramos expected to leave.
Ramos may now be 38 but the Spaniard is one of the most decorated players of modern times and would provide some much-needed experience for San Diego in their inaugural season in MLS. If the younger Lozano can be brought in, Ramos could take one of two remaining Designated Player spots on the roster. He would not come cheap but, with youth and energy around him, Ramos could still form the bedrock of a successful MLS side.
