By Ivan Yeo
Could LAFC already have made its first big-name signing.
According to ESPN, the 2018 expansion side may have scored its first big-time acquisition, as they have reported that Mexican star Andres Guardado has agreed to join the club on a four-year deal.
The report did not go into further detail of the deal, and there are certainly more questions that have to be answered. One of them is when in 2018 will Guardado come over, as the 2018 World Cup is sure to complicate that process. Guardado currently plays for Dutch Club PSV Eindhoven and the Eredivise runs a traditional fall-to-spring schedule. Will Guardado, who has a year remaining on his contract with PSV, want to play out that remaining year of the contract, play for Mexico in the World Cup, then join LAFC, or would LAFC and PSV be able to work out a transfer fee that clears the way for Guardado to join the MLS side for the entire 2018 campaign. A buyout between Guardado and PSV is another possibility.
Either way, if its true, then LAFC will certainly be adding a stalwart to its midfield. Guardado has featured prominently for Mexico on its left side for more than a decade, earning 133 caps and scoring 24 goals for El Tri. Signing Guardado, though not as big as signing Chicharito Hernandez, another player linked with LAFC, would certainly add some buzz and notoriety ahead of next season.