THE LOS ANGELES Galaxy have signed Mexico striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez from Sevilla and will make him the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, Sports Illustrated reported on Friday.
Galaxy will be counting on Chicharito, who is Mexico’s all-time leading goal-scorer, to fill the star-power and scoring void left by the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish star who returned to AC Milan in December.
Sports Illustrated cited unnamed sources in reporting the deal had been done, and that Hernandez would take over as the league’s highest-paid player from Toronto FC star Michael Bradley, who makes a reported $6 million a year.
Other outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and AS also report a deal has been done.
Hernandez, one of the most popular Mexican players of his generation, has long been linked to a move to MLS and he will arrive Stateside after signing with Sevilla in September from West Ham.
The 31-year-old, who left Chivas Guadalajara for Manchester United in 2010, has also played for Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen during his European tenure.
In Los Angeles, he’ll be playing opposite countryman Carlos Vela — star striker for Los Angeles FC.
Asked this week what he thought of a potential move by Hernandez to Southern California, Vela said his countryman would be an asset to the Galaxy.
“He’s a scoring machine,” Vela said. “He’s always there looking to score goals, (but) he also does a really good job defending for his team.
“I think it’s really important if they get him, because he’s a good player, and I think he can be a good signing for everybody if it happens.”
But that doesn’t mean Vela is conceding anything in the battle for LA.
“I already told him that if he comes here, he’s going to lose and if he scores a goal I will score one more than him,” Vela told Univision on Thursday.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
