CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy did not address rumors linking the club to Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos during their press conference to unveil new Designated Player Steven Gerrard on Tuesday.
With the Galaxy already possessing three Designated Players, dos Santos could only join the Galaxy if a reported player mechanism change is finalized. Echoing comments made by Bruce Arena a week earlier, Galaxy club president Chris Klein offered a no comment on the rumors.
“As we say all along, we follow the rules of the league,” Klein said during the news conference. “We’re happy to add Steven as a third Designated Player, and right now, there’s nothing available for us to add another player. If something does come … we’ll be aggressive and do everything that we can. But we don’t discuss players that are not a part of our club, and we’re not going to change that practice today.”
AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman also noted that while no new player mechanism change is finalized, if the rules are changed, the Galaxy will take full advantage of what is in front of them.
"We’re always going to follow league rules, and league rules can change. What’s important is that the rules apply to every team and that whatever the rules say those opportunities are afforded to every club in the league," Beckerman said. "As circumstances change, we have Chris and Bruce, who as I said earlier have the green light to improve this team as they see fit. And if there are circumstances where we can do that, we’re going to evaluate it and be supportive."
Amid Mexican reports that a deal between the Galaxy and dos Santos is already complete; the player himself spoke to Univision’s Rodolfo Landeros on Sunday. During his interview, the player who is still under contract with Spanish side Villarreal CF stated that while the Galaxy are a team of interest, nothing is finished yet.
"It's a team that has always been after me and of course all the talks are just rumors and it's something that's been talked about for the past two years,” dos Santos told Landeros. “They have always bet on me and in soccer, you never know where you will end up. Up to this day I have a contract with Villarreal and I am currently 100 percent focused with the national team.
"Of course, it's one of the teams that wants me, just like there's other teams in Europe that also want me,” He added. “And of course I can't shut the doors to any team and as a soccer player you never know where you will end up tomorrow.”
