LA Galaxy made its first transfer market move yesterday when it sent rookie defender Kofi Opare to D.C. United. DCU traded its 3rd place allocation ranking in the transaction, which leads everyone to believe a “big” player is coming to Galaxy. Today, it was reported that Galaxy are after former USMNT midfielder Sacha Kljestan. This is great news for Galaxy, who hasn’t had a major shakeup in its lineup in quite some time. A player like Kljestan could be just what it needs to reignite the fire the club had when winning back-to-back MLS championships.
Although, this rumor has reached full flame today, it is not a brand new. Reports of Kljestan’s return to MLS started out earlier this year in May. Now that the transfer window is open, it seems that the rumor is a lot closer to becoming a reality. Kljestan wants to join Galaxy specifically, because he is a Huntington Beach native, which is an Orange County city not too far from Los Angeles. If the transfer goes through, Kjestan would be facing off against his former club Chivas USA during the SuperClasico.
Kljestan may be seeking a grand return in the footsteps of Clint Dempsey or Michael Bradley, but that does not seem realistic. He is a great player, but can he compare to Dempsey or Bradley? Galaxy already has its three Designated Players, and to break any of those contracts for Kljestan is questionable. This is a good for the club, because keeping Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, and Omar Gonzalez with Galaxy and adding in Kljestan could be the start of something big.
Galaxy has been lacking a strong midfield position ever since David Beckham left in 2012. Most recently Bruce Arena decided to pull Donovan from striker to midfield and it made a positive impact on the club’s form, but Donovan is a natural striker. Having a midfielder like Kjestan join the club could really help fill the other gaps Galaxy are experiencing in the midfield, which is something the club has been struggling with for a while.
Kljestan is 28 years old and currently with the Belgian Pro League club R.S.C. Anderlecht who he has been with since 2010 when he left Chivas USA. Anderlecht has won the league for the last 3 years in a row, which may be why Kljestan is ready to move on. If the deal goes through, Kjestan could be the one to help Galaxy return to its position as the top team in the Western Conference once again.