Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is headed to the Los Angeles Galaxy on a loan deal.
Maybe.
San Diego FC has been searching for a suitor for the Mexican winger since the Major League Soccer club announced in January that he is no longer part of its sporting plans and, after multiple deals were blocked by Lozano, it might have found him an amenable destination — at least temporarily.
Multiple sources told the Union-Tribune that SDFC and the Galaxy have agreed to terms on what would be a loan for the remainder of the MLS season and perhaps longer. The hold-up is Lozano, who has a strict no-trade clause in his contract and thus must bless any move.
The paperwork has been in Lozano’s hands for several days, awaiting his signature, according to a source.
“Nothing has changed from our side,” SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps said last month as the MLS season resumed after its World Cup break. “A lot of it is dependent on him and his decision, if he wants to continue to play football.
“We’re hoping it gets resolved as quickly as possible for all parties.”
The deal, if finalized, likely won’t be popular with either fan base.
San Diego Football Club’s Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (11) shoots towards goal during Tuesday’s Leagues Cup match against C.F. Pachuca at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA. (Xavier Hernandez for the UT)
When The Athletic wrote Monday night that there were “advanced talks” between the clubs, social media erupted in displeasure. Some Galaxy fans said they didn’t want a 31-year-old left wing who hasn’t appeared in a competitive game in nine months and forfeited a chance to stay fit for a World Cup on home soil when he scrapped loan and transfer proposals last winter.
And SDFC fans questioned sending a star player to what they consider their biggest rival, so heated that they engaged in violent brawls inside Snapdragon Stadium after a game last season that resulted in bans for dozens of supporters.
But SDFC is at the mercy of Lozano’s consent for any move, and the Galaxy so far are the only club he has seemed willing to consider.
Details of the deal aren’t fully available, although SDFC is believed to be absorbing a good chunk of a contract that, according to figures released by the MLS Players Association, will pay Lozano $9.3 million this season.
He would be a designated player for the Galaxy, meaning his salary is above the league maximum and doesn’t count against the cap. He would no longer count as a DP for SDFC, officially opening a slot for Elias Achouri, the 27-year-old Tunisian left winger recently acquired from Danish club FC Copenhagen.
Achouri was introduced at SDFC’s July 25 home game but has yet to suit up. He has been added to its 30-player roster for the Leagues Cup between MLS and Liga MX teams, which for SDFC begins Thursday in Mexico City against Club América. The next home game is Sunday at 7 p.m. against the Tijuana Xolos.
SDFC also would have the roster flexibility to obtain a third DP — right wing Anders Dreyer is the other — if it so desires, although there are no indications the club plans to sign anyone imminently.
San Diego FC wing Hirving “Chucky” Lozano has not played this season. (Xavier Hernandez for the UT)
Any Lozano deal likely will amount to a significant financial hit for SDFC, which paid a reported $12 million transfer fee to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven to get him and make him the instant face of the expansion franchise. It already paid him $7.6 million last season and at least half of the $9.3 million owed this year. He has two years beyond this season remaining on his contract for similar money.
Things soured late last season, when Lozano threw what witnesses described as a locker-room tantrum after coach Mikey Varas subbed him out of a game at halftime. He was suspended for the regular-season finale and came off the bench in the playoffs.
San Diego Football Club’s Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (11) celebrates scoring during Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake, at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA. (Xavier Hernandez for the UT)
Lozano has been training by himself on the side at the club’s Singing Hills practice facility since camp opened in January and has not been part of the active roster. He has told people his family loves living in San Diego, which might explain why the only move he’s seriously entertained is also in Southern California.
SDFC has been actively trying to find Lozano a new team, even if it means swallowing a large chunk of his remaining salary. A transfer completely severing ties would be preferable, but at this point even a short-term loan can help the club move out from his shadow.
Both the Galaxy and SDFC need some sort of jolt, too. They currently are in 12th and 13th place, respectively, in the 15-team Western Conference. Only the top nine make the postseason.