The Los Angeles Galaxy have acquired midfielder Diego Fagundez from Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Memo Rodrguez, as announced on Tuesday.
General Allocation Money (GAM) has also been traded between the Western Conference clubs, with up to $900,000 going to Austin in exchange for Fagundez. This total consists of $300,000 in guaranteed money and $600,000 in bonus money. Meanwhile, if Rodriguez does well, LA might receive $150,000 in GAM on condition.
A westward bound Fagundez
Fagundez, a native of Uruguay who is now 28 years old, has scored 65 goals and assisted on 65 more in MLS regular season play, making him one of only 11 players to accomplish this feat. He will be joining a potent Los Angeles attack including Riqui Puig, Tyler Boyd, Douglas Costa, and Dejan Joveljic up front.
“Diego is a talented, versatile, and hard-working player who has consistently produced on the attacking side,” LA head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney said in a statement. We think he’ll fit in with our play style right away, so it’s great that he’s joining the team.
Austin FC sports director Rodolfo Borrell stated in a press release that the team was “sincerely grateful to Diego” for his work in the first two and a half seasons of the club’s existence. We wish him the best of luck in the future, and he will always hold a special place in the history of the squad.
Rodrigo goes home to Texas.Rodriguez, now 27 years old, played for Houston Dynamo FC, a rival club in Texas, for the first four years of his professional career (2014-22) before signing with LA last winter. Throughout his Major League Soccer career, he has played in 148 games (starting 90) and contributed 18 goals and 15 assists.
Like Fagundez, Rodrguez can operate equally well on the wing or in the middle of the field. After acquiring Matt Hedges, a central defender for Toronto FC in the Secondary Transfer Window, he is Austin’s second trade acquisition.
“We are happy to have Memo return to his home state of Texas to join Austin FC,” Borrell added. “He is a talented midfielder who is going to help the team and knows the league well,” they said. “We wish him and his family a warm welcome to the community here in Austin.”
In the words of Vanney: “Memo was a pleasure to work with and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.”
Teams have until the MLS Roster Freeze Date (September 15) to add players who are no longer under contract, even though the summer window closed on August 2. This is especially important for LA, who are restricted in their ability to acquire foreign players due to transfer bans.