LA Galaxy acquire Diego Fagundez in trade with Austin FC

  • Fagundez heads to LA; Austin to receive Memo Rodriguez in return
  • Austin will also receive up to $900k in General Allocation Money
  • First big move for Austin sporting director Rodolfo Borrell

Diego Fagundez is headed to Los Angeles
Diego Fagundez is headed to Los Angeles / Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/GettyImages
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In a trade between Austin FC and LA Galaxy, Diego Fagundez is headed to the west coast and Memo Rodriguez returns to his home state in Texas.

In the finer details of the deal, Austin are sending only Fagundez to the Galaxy, while LA are sending Memo Rodriguez and up to $900,000 in General Allocation Money to the Verde and Black.

Fagundez joined the Oaks in January of 2021 and scored 17 goals in 95 appearances in all competitions as a left-winger. In 2022, the 28-year-old tallied an impressive 15 assists in MLS. Now, the forward is set for a new chapter after playing for Austin and before that New England Revolution.

"The club is sincerely grateful to Diego for his contributions to growing Austin FC on and off the field in the organization’s first two-and-a-half seasons," new Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell said.

"He will forever be an important part of the team’s history and we wish him all the best in the future.

Galaxy head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney said: "Diego is a talented, versatile and hard-working player who has consistently produced on the attacking side. We are pleased to bring him into the team as we see him sliding seamlessly into our style of play. Memo was a pleasure to work with and we wish him and his family nothing but the best."

Rodriguez just joined the Galaxy as a free agent in January, and is now on the move once again. In 202, the 27-year-old made 16 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals. Before joining the Galaxy, Rodriguez had stints with Houston Dynamo and USL side Rio Grande Valley FC.

"We are happy to have Memo return to his home state of Texas to join Austin FC," Borrell said. "He is a talented midfielder who is going to help the team and knows the league well, and we wish him and his family a warm welcome to the community here in Austin."

Similar trades are on the horizon across MLS as the league's secondary transfer window closes on August 2.


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