Sporting KC
Sporting KC Acquire LA Galaxy Forward Dejan Joveljic

Sporting Kansas City this evening announced the acquisition of LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic in exchange for $4 million. The deal is the first cash for player trade in MLS history after the league announced the new player acquisition method in mid-January. Publicly it was a quick moving deal as it was only reported yesterday by Tom Bogert. Previously there had been reports that Tigres in Mexico had made an offer to acquire the Serbian international.
From the City of Angels to the City of Fountains ⛲️ #SportingKC pic.twitter.com/uh7gAGjOPZ
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) February 2, 2025
The move came as the Galaxy continue having to restructure their roster. Joveljic, 25, had been a U22 Initiative signing for the Galaxy, but is aging out of the program this year as he will turn 26. The rules for U22 players is that they can be under that classification up to the season they turn 25, which for Joveljic was the 2024 season. With him aging out of the program, his cap hit goes up from the $200,000 it was this year.
Sporting in their announcement of the move announced that Joveljic had signed a new three year deal with Kansas City through the 2027 season with an option for 2028. The deal will make Joveljic a Designated Player for Sporting.
Joveljic had his best professional season in 2024 with the LA Galaxy. He scored fifteen goals and added six assists in twenty-eight games. He had an outstanding playoffs for the Galaxy as well, starting all five games for LA, scoring six goals including the winner in MLS Cup against the New York Red Bulls. In his MLS career so far Joveljic has scored thirty-four goals and fifteen assists in one hundred and six games.
He gives Kansas City what is now a more potent forward room with Joveljic, William Agada, and Mason Toye. His signing a DP contract along with the upcoming addition of Manu Garcia means that Kansas City will be buying down at least one of their 2024 DPs still on the roster (Nemanja Radoja and Daniel Salloi), if not both if Sporting chooses to go the 2 DP/4 U22 roster construction model.
Are you happy with the signing? Questions about what this means for Agada’s role in the team? Comment below.
I hope he’s still able to score with his pockets full. Pulido never seemed to be able to do that. I do feel sad for Agada as he might be a 17 goal scorer as a starter. I do hope he’s okay and that the hunt for a #9 didn’t begin because Willy as “a knock” that in April we’ll discover will require multiple surgeries.
I welcome any and all signings. Let’s see some midfielders or wingers now because SKC are very needy in those spots
This is an excellent signing. He has proven no matter where he has been he is effective.
with this just being the first part of the rebuild, I’m excited. With the clearing of the older players, now adding young attack minded players will be great.
it would be cool to hear Shapi and Manu are a official. That would be great.
the only thing that kind of worries me and it may take another transfer window is the defensive/full back positions. We need an up ticket in that too.
but well done Mr Burns. FO is doing what they said.
At this rate, the FO is going to cost me a full-price Season Pass when I had just determined I was going to wait it out until mid-summer.
I think they’ll probably add Jansen Miller at CB. Probably a RB (maybe Jan Jurcec). And that may be it.
But the defense can be overhauled next offseason. Out of contract: Fernandez, Voloder, Ndenbe, Leibold.
Out of contract but with 2026 options: Rosero, Shelton.
AKA, basically everyone.
I’m glad this one worked out and I’m excited to see a young attacking player that’s proven. I love Agada and want him to ascend to the same success as Joveljic, but he is not as effective when he’s not receiving balls in dangerous spots. I think that Joveljic has the ability to create opportunities for himself.
as a side note, I love that the last clip is him scoring on STL. That’s gotta be intentional from the PR team.
One of the best ways to evaluate a trade is to assess the other team’s fans’ reaction. Judging by the wailing and gnashing of teeth, and sheer outright sadness on the Galaxy side, I’d say this has real promise.
Great move for SKC, great move for the league. Not a player we want moving to Liga MX.