Clarity on international slots! Several players close to green cards and the 1/2 year slot will help. Not sure who that could be, but we certainly need it! Clarity on the 6 month INTL slot: Kuntz said the Galaxy have several players who are close to green cards and that the spot is buying them time to get those. Also remarked that the transfer market for INTL slots is VERY HOT right now. #LAGalaxy #MLS— Corner Of The Galaxy (@GalaxyPodcast) February 9, 2026
Kuntz also confirmed that there is an automatic trigger for a Nasci transfer if he starts a certain percentage (wouldn't say exactly what) of matches across MLS and CCL. so, we may see a situation that he's not a starter even if he ought to be. Important for Klaus to stay healthy.
The fact that international slots are so sought after isn’t that encouraging for US soccer development. A bit of it may be explained by our star players getting better and finding overseas clubs (good sign) but the fact that teams can’t compete with 3 to 5 starter level Americans to go with clubs average of 8 international slots is not a good sign. Teams would rather pay $100’s of thousands to reduce their reliance on home grown players. Guess it just takes many, many decades to come close to catching up with the soccer nations. Possibly we never will given it is still a 4th tier (or so) sport here.
Probably the number one reason why we have GAM and TAM and all of these Byzantine rules - we have a unique situation in MLS where the Players Union doesn't want a totally unrestricted and expanded Salary Cap - because that would freeze out a lot of American players from getting MLS roster spots. They want a cap that allows teams to get SOME really expensive foreign players and maybe keep a US national team player or two - but also keep the 200-400k American player important to the league.
Some of the cycle is self fulfilling from the system. Most of the US attacking players get stuck during development behind those very foreign attacking players on GAMTAM that for domestic development you’d want them to replace, and then the domestic players either don’t develop or have to leave MLS to develop.
I think a big part of the problem is the perception that the best soccer is played in Europe and that to develop as a player you need to go to Europe. Look at Klinsmann's and many pundits attitude towards MLS. Another problem is the club greed issue. Clubs were forced by the MLS and US Soccer to fund an academy and they are looking for financial return for that investment. Consequently, you have clubs like Dallas and Philidelphia that have never won an MLS cup, selling their best talent and not using those players to build their club.
I’ve thought for some time now, that the league expanded faster than the American talent pool did. We simply don’t produce enough quality players to even partially staff a 30 plus team league. The explosion on the cost for additional international roster spots is a relatively recent phenomenon which I believe is at least partially caused by the large scale expansion of the number of teams in the league.
We have acquired a 2026 international roster slot from Austin FC in exchange for $240,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM).📰: https://t.co/ofuws3nIPA pic.twitter.com/exFJoxFweo— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) February 11, 2026 Two more to go to be roster compliant.
Vivi is officially on loan with Tampa Bay in USLC 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙖 𝘽𝙖𝙮 🤩The @TampaBayRowdies acquire Gino Vivi on loan for 2026!➡️ https://t.co/nWXZ2IdOjx pic.twitter.com/uzuhVr1DaW— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) February 13, 2026
Just out of curiosity, it was my impression that a loan can be cancelled at any time by the team that owns the players contract. Is that correct? For example if Paintsil got hurt on a season ending injury, I can see the Galaxy recalling him.
By the way, given that Vivi and his agent are probably the ones that secured the loan destination once they knew the Galaxy needed to loan him out, it's possible it means he is in the process of acquiring a green card. The only way he will make it in MLS is if he doesn't need an int'l slot and he needs to stay in the US throughout that process.
Maybe this was the other offensive addition that was rumored. At his best and in his prime, Coutinho would certainly fill that attacking midfielder role we currently are lacking without Puig 🚨⭐️| Philippe Coutinho de fato é um alvo do #LAGalaxy para a janela atual da #MLS.Não me falaram de proposta na mesa, apenas do interesse do clube americano no brasileiro.Informação dada em 1ª mão por @jorgenicola e confirmada pelo @territoriomls com @CarlosBerbert11 pic.twitter.com/ff4nOGfrE5— Cristian Moraes (@ocrismoraes) February 18, 2026
In his prime, I would agree. But he really hasn't been that productive for the last 4 years. Personally, I think that Fagundez would probably be a better fit, although Vanney didn't play him at the 10 very often. However, I would guess that the chance of resigning him at this point is probably pretty low.
I guess Kuntz isn't sweating needing 1-2 more international slots as much as I am. This guy would need one more.
just going off these articles, this sounds like an awful pick up, and a possible locker room disruption, unless the Galaxy are looking for a player with a name that had recognition 8 years ago, I don't see this being a positive transaction for the Galaxy https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2172733/Philippe-Coutinho-contract-now-Liverpool https://www.goal.com/en-in/lists/li...inate-contract-booed-fans/blt19d922132894c381
Wow, this is out of left field. Is he going to be Douglas Costa? If he cares, and we limit his minutes, he has the skill to be really effective. Last 25 minutes of games and he could make a difference. At least we will not be relying solely on him like the Gio Dos Santos days.
Maybe Vanney and Kuntz are thinking a 2nd Reus type that will allow for a super sub. Plus the 2 have played against each other so there's that familiarity as well.
If we pick up Costa again I’m going to lose it. That guy was a malingering, lazy ass cancer. I don’t care how much talent he has, I don’t want players like him on my team.
Have we seen anything actually legit on the Coutinho rumor? I mean, if he is willing to come here for $500k is that a good deal? (it would actually be like $900k once you factor in the international roster spot we'd need to get) I haven't followed him much since Liverpool. What happened? The one thing that separates him from Costa is that Costa was all about speed and once that left him, he really had nothing else to offer. Where Coutinho seemed to be a more complete central midfielder with vision and great passing and a good long range shot. Losing a step doesn't hurt his game as much. But obviously something is going on with his move back home and then asking to have his Vasco contract torn up.
Costa was someone we completely agree upon. I assume you feel the same way, like I do, about other entitled Costa like players. So far the Galaxy have avoided players like that in the post-Kirovski, Kuntz era, so I am hopeful that this is just a trash agent started rumor.
More international slots coming (and GAM leaving!) We have acquired a 2026 International Roster Slot from Toronto FC through the 2026 season in exchange for $200,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $225,000 in 2027 GAM.📰: https://t.co/NlB2pyL4pP pic.twitter.com/Hp89MYY9Hh— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) February 20, 2026
Here's the last acquisition of an international slot. Another half year deal, which suggests we have two players getting green cards and Nasci likely leaving in the summer. We have acquired a 2026 International Roster Slot from Nashville SC in exchange for $140,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $110,000 in 2027 GAM.📰: https://t.co/e11JzrXlTO pic.twitter.com/7Kkv46DrNb— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) February 20, 2026
I always wonder how long it is from agreement to announcement. Have to believe these deals were made a while ago and Will didn't just wake up this morning and think "shit, I need two international spots by 3pm today!!!!"
I assume that these deals were made on a contingent basis, where either side could back out if they could get a better price and announced today when they couldn't delay any longer.