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The L.A. Galaxy are making bold moves to recapture their former dominance, securing Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano and reportedly set to add ex-La Liga and Serie A midfielder Sergi Roberto to their ranks.
With Riqui Puig sidelined through a second consecutive injury-plagued season as he rehabilitates a re-torn ACL, the Galaxy have used the early 2026 summer transfer window to aggressively strengthen their squad following a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Western Conference in 2025.
On Friday, the club confirmed the loan signing of Lozano from California rivals San Diego FC, offering the Mexican international an opportunity to return to competitive action for the first time since November, after being frozen out of San Diego despite holding a costly Designated Player contract.
Additionally, though not yet officially confirmed, MARCA's Matteo Moretto broke the news Friday that former FC Barcelona midfielder—and Puig's ex-teammate—Roberto is also heading to the Galaxy, with the 34-year-old arriving after 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
These moves represent a significant transformation for a Galaxy side that has struggled to cope without Puig, and signal the next phase of a squad rebuild that has moved beyond the "Killa Ps" era of the 2024 MLS Cup victory, following the sale of Gabriel Pec to Brazilian Série A outfit Cruzeiro.
The Galaxy currently occupy 12th place in the Western Conference through 19 matches, with 15 games still to play, and have managed just four victories—none of them consecutive—a milestone they last achieved in the closing two fixtures of the previous campaign.
Currently enduring a four-match winless run, the team is scheduled to return to action on Aug. 15 with a road trip to the Houston Dynamo, which could potentially mark Lozano's debut, though both the Mexican veteran and Roberto will require time to build their fitness up to the league's midseason tempo.
How the Galaxy Could Line Up With Roberto, Lozano
Bringing in both players carries inherent risks for the Galaxy.
With Lozano, questions linger over his dedication to competitive play and his relationship with teammates—issues that caused friction in San Diego—while Roberto's time in Italy was largely underwhelming. Nevertheless, the two seasoned veterans will be a significant draw for supporters and have the potential to inject much-needed quality into a struggling side.
As for how manager Gregg Vanney might set up his team, a 4-3-3 formation could see Joseph Paintsil and Lozano deployed on the flanks, with João Klauss leading the line—the striker, acquired from St. Louis CITY in the winter, has already netted five goals in eight appearances.
The midfield trio behind them could boast considerable European pedigree, with Roberto potentially stationed on the right, German star Marco Reus anchoring the center, and 22-year-old Uruguayan prospect Lucas Sanabria operating on the left. Defensively, an unchanged back four of Harbor Miller, Jakob Glesnes, Justin Haak, and John Nelson provides a solid unit in front of goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.
The key questions surrounding this setup will be where the additional goals come from, whether Lozano can be the catalyst for that improvement, and how Roberto's modest offensive output can genuinely elevate a Galaxy side that has struggled equally in attack and defense.
Can the Galaxy Make a Push?
The Galaxy are currently averaging just 1.16 points per game this season, a rate that would have placed them 12th in the West in 2025, but the new arrivals should help them improve that figure and at least mount a challenge for the Wild Card positions.
In 2025, Real Salt Lake set the Wild Card threshold at 1.21 points-per-game, while the Western Conference quarterfinal bar was set at 1.29. The year prior, when the Galaxy lifted the MLS Cup, the Portland Timbers required 1.38 points-per-game to qualify.
A stronger second-half performance—likely including back-to-back wins—will be necessary for the Galaxy to secure a postseason berth, but sitting just two points off the cutoff after 17 games, they remain very much in contention for a playoff return.