TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
The LA Galaxy cut ties with five academy products on Wednesday, according to the LA Times’ Kevin Baxter.
Baxter reported that the Galaxy will not bring back forward Jack McBean, defender Nathan Smith and midfielders Jaime Villarreal, Jose Villarreal and Raul Mendiola. All five initially joined the team as Homegrown Players.
Of the players cut, McBean was the first to join the Galaxy first-team, signing a Homegrown deal with the club in January 2011. He tallied four goals and three assists in 37 career regular season appearances in MLS, and spent the bulk of multiple seasons playing for LA Galaxy II, the club’s USL affiliate.
Jose Villarreal had the most success of any of the players with the LA first-team, recording five goals and nine assists in 68 career regular season appearances. His best season came in 2015, when he scored two goals and added four assists in just 698 minutes.
Mendiola had been with LA’s first-team since 2014, but only recorded 13 regular season appearances with the Galaxy. Jaime Villarreal and Nathan Smith were both in their first years in MLS in 2017, with Smith recording 12 appearances and Villarreal, the younger brother of Jose, playing in just seven matches.
The Galaxy finished in last in MLS in 2017.
