When the Loons hit the road to take on the LA Galaxy earlier this season, I wrote about how Greg Vanney’s squad still had a substantial hill to climb to bounce back from a brutal 2025 campaign. For the most part, that prediction has been true, but the side Minnesota will host at Allianz Field this coming weekend has made some pretty big changes in the time since their last encounter. It was a very active transfer window for the Galaxy, both in terms of outgoing and incoming players, and several of these movements will be key to Saturday’s matchup.

But Rachel, you say, I don’t want to comb through all the transaction news dating back to July! Fear not, young padawan. I already did, and I’m laying it all out right here.

Who’s Out

Here’s the big one: At the beginning of July, the Galaxy transferred forward Gabriel Pec to Cruzeiro Esporte Club for a club-record transfer fee. The Brazilian spent two-and-a-half seasons in LA and transformed the club’s attack, earning MLS Newcomer of the Year and MLS All-Star honors as well as winning MLS Cup in 2024. Across all competitions, Pec logged 43g/28a. No matter how much money you get from a deal like that, it’s a pretty big loss to your front line. The Galaxy have won only two matches since his departure, scoring only nine goals across 11 games.

In addition, the club said goodbye to the following players:

• Defender Mauricio Cuevas, in a transfer to Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

• Midfielder Edwin Cerrillo, in a transfer to Liga MX giant Club América.

• Defender Miki Yamane, in a transfer to J1 League Side Urawa Red Diamonds.

• Forward Ruben Ramos Jr., on loan at Sporting Kansas City through the 2027 Sprint Season.

Those first three were fairly consistent starters for the Galaxy before the transfer window, and the defenders in particular left a significant hole in the back line, as Yamane and Cuevas were both primarily used as right backs. Homegrown defender Harbor Miller has picked up the slack, starting at right back in every game — until last matchday, when a new signing stepped in. Oh, look, a perfect transition!

Who’s In

Who was that new signing, you ask? Defender Lucas Calegari, who actually joined the Galaxy on loan in 2023 and earned the club’s Defender of the Year award, rejoined the club in the first week of September. One match isn’t quite enough to be sure that Calegari has taken over Miller’s starting spot, but he did play a full 90 in his first appearance and seems to fit the profile the Galaxy were looking for with a bit of added positional versatility.

In the midfield, the Galaxy acquired former Barcelona player Sergi Roberto and Real Salt Lake’s Pablo Ruiz. Roberto is a seasoned leader who has already made four appearances and contributed some significant moments, and Ruiz, who was signed right at the end of the window, offers another valuable attacking option.

Speaking of attacking options, the final three additions we have to cover are all forwards: free agent Robert Taylor, whose name you might recognize from stints in Miami and Austin; Kyōgo Furuhashi, whose resume ranges from the Japanese national team to the Scottish Premiership and French Ligue 1; and, of course, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. (Of course, there’s also DP forward João Klauss, who’s been activated off the injured list following a roster slot trade with Minnesota. But Kyle covered that in the preview.)

DP winger Lozano is the biggest news here, acquired on loan from San Diego through the end of the year with an option to make the move permanent. His career started off explosively with Liga MX’s Pachuca, where he scored 44 goals and helped the club win the 2016 Clausura and 2016-16 Concacaf Champions League. He was the top scorer for Dutch side PSV in 2017 and won the Serie A title with Italy’s Napoli in 2023, showing he had more than enough skill to hang with the best in Europe. 

Lozano made the move to MLS in San Diego’s expansion season last year as the club’s first-ever DP. In 22 starts with the club, he logged 9g/10a (plus two playoff goals), significantly contributing to Mikey Varas’ side’s massive inaugural-season success. However, internal disagreements sidelined Lozano in 2026, and it was clear that he wouldn’t be seeing minutes on the pitch. A move up the coast made perfect sense for Lozano, who’s already scored for his new squad (against San Diego, ironically) and slots perfectly into a new front line with Furuhashi and Taylor. 

Sometimes transfers are slower burns, requiring players to work up to fitness and earn their starting spots. But for this Galaxy side, the payoff was immediate up and down the pitch. Every player acquired during the window has already seen playing time, the starting lineup has shifted, and now the squad’s new additions are starting to work up a chemistry with impact players like Marco Reus and Justin Haak to create a new identity just in time to make a push for the postseason. 

That’s not to say LA has ironed out all their problems — they’re a modest 1-1-1 since the window closed – but all these changes have at least given them a fighting chance at turning things around in time for playoffs. Let’s just hope the Loons can keep them away from that turning point and walk away from this weekend with three points.