LA Galaxy Confirm Hirving Lozano Deal, Linked with Former FC Barcelona Midfielder

The L.A. Galaxy are fighting their way back to the glory days, signing Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano and with the rumored addition of former La Liga and Serie A midfielder Sergi Roberto to come.

With Riqui Puig in the midst of a second injured season as he recovers from a re-injured ACL, the Galaxy have spent the early part of the 2026 summer transfer window looking to push their team towards the MLS Cup playoffs after finishing 14th in the Western Conference in 2025.

On Friday, the club announced that they had signed Lozano on loan from California rivals San Diego FC, giving the Mexican star a chance to play his first games since November, before he was exiled on an expensive Designated Player contract with San Diego.

And while not yet announced, MARCA’s Matteo Moretto first reported on Friday that former FC Barcelona midfielder—and Puig teammate—Roberto was bound for the Galaxy, as well, bringing the 34-year-old in after he spent two seasons with Como in Serie A.

🚨🇺🇸 Sergi Roberto to LA Galaxy, here we go! Verbal agreement done for former Barça and Como player to join MLS side.

Sergi accepted the proposal with formal steps now to follow, as @MatteMoretto reports. pic.twitter.com/BJvIyujgxv
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2026

It all marks a massive shift for a Galaxy side that has struggled to fill the void after Puig’s injury, and the next steps in a roster build that has moved on from the “Killa Ps” of the 2024 MLS Cup triumph, having sold Gabriel Pec to Brazilian Série A club Cruzeiro.

The Galaxy currently sit 12th in the Western Conference after 19 games, with 15 remaining, and have just four wins, none of which are back-to-back—a feat they haven’t achieved since the final two games of last season.

Currently amid a four-game winless streak, they’re set to return to the pitch on Aug. 15 with a visit to the Houston Dynamo, which could potentially see Lozano’s debut, even though both the Mexican veteran and Roberto will need time to ramp up their fitness to match the league’s midseason form.

How the Galaxy Could Line Up With Roberto, Lozano

Bringing in both players is a risk for the Galaxy.

With Lozano, there are concerns about his commitment to playing competitively and his conduct amongst teammates, which struck a sensitive chord in San Diego and with Roberto, a relatively unproductive spell in Italy. Still, the two veterans will be a major fan draw and stand the possibility of adding quality to a side that desperately needs more of it.

As for how manager Gregg Vanney could line the team up? In a 4-3-3 formation, Joseph Paintsil and Lozano could play on the wings, centered by João Klauss, who the Galaxy added from St. Louis CITY in the winter and has five goals in eight games.

How the L.A. Galaxy could line up with new additions. | FotMob

The trio behind them could bring plenty of European experience, with Roberto potentially on the right, German star Marco Reus as the central midfielder, and 22-year-old Uruguayan talent Lucas Sanabria on the left. At the back, an unchanged backline of Harbor Miller, Jakob Glesnes, Justin Haak, and John Nelson stands as a formidable defensive setup in front of goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.

The biggest questions in the setup will be where the improved goalscoring will come, whether and if Lozano can be the driver of that, and how Roberto’s lackluster offensive numbers actually move the needle on a Galaxy side that has had trouble scoring as much as it has defending.

Can the Galaxy Make a Push?

Marco Reus’s L.A. Galaxy needs to improve significantly in the second half of the season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Galaxy might only be averaging 1.16 points per game this season so far, and that pace would have ranked them 12th in the West in 2025, but the new signings should allow them to improve on that and at least make a chase toward the Wild Card spots.

In 2025, the Wild Card cutoff landed at 1.21 points-per-game with Real Salt Lake, while the Western Conference quarterfinal cutoff came in at 1.29. A year earlier, when the Galaxy won MLS Cup, the Portland Timbers needed 1.38 points-per-game to make the cut.

It will take an improved second-half effort, likely some consecutive wins, for the Galaxy to make their way into fall soccer, but sitting just two points short of the cutoff after 17 games, they certainly stand a decent chance of a postseason return.

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