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Omar Gonzalez is probably still celebrating his MLS Cup MVP performance, and he will have a little longer to celebrate that victory after LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made it clear there will be no loans or training stints for the standout centerback this winter.
“We’re certainly not going to let Omar go out on a training loan exhibition this time around,” Arena told the LA Galaxy Insider. What Arena wouldn’t completely rule out is the possibility of the Galaxy dealing Gonzalez, who has one year left on contract.
“It’s based on if there is an offer there, we have to consider it. The only timeline is that the end of January is the end of the transfer window,”said Arena. “Omar Gonzalez is on our team. We’re not worried about anything until that changes and, right now, he’s a member of our team.”
NO RETURN FOR WILHELMSSON, GALAXY WORKING ON JUNINHO
One player who won’t be part of the team in 2013 is Swedish midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson, who played just nine total games after joining the team late in the season. Arena revealed on Wednesday that Wilhelmsson won’t be back.
A starter in the MLS Cup Final, Wilhelmsson will leave MLS with an MLS Cup winner’s medal and the memory of one of the worst MLS Cup final performances in recent memory.
The Galaxy are hopeful of finalizing a deal to bring back Brazilian midfielder Juninho, who enjoyed a standout season after returning to LA from Sao Paulo.
HOMEGROWN DEFENDER SET TO SIGN
Arena also informed local media that Galaxy Academy defender Oscar Sortos will sign with the Galaxy as a Homegrown player and join the senior team in 2013. He will join Jack McBean and Jose Villarreal as academy products.
Arena also admitted that the Galaxy are still interested in signing CSU-Bakersfield star forward Gyasi Zardes, though that isn’t really a surprise. What would be a bigger surprise at this point would be if the Galaxy were actually able to land college soccer’s most highly-rated forward for anything less than a big-money contract in excess of $200,000.
NO TOUR FOR GALAXY
After going on international post-season tours around the world in four of the past five seasons, the Galaxy decided not to have one this winter. There had been rumors about a potential tour of the Middle East, but Galaxy officials have decided to give the team a rest. You also have to wonder just how interested David Beckham was in doing another tour before leaving the club.
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What do you think of these developments? See the Galaxy selling Gonzalez? Surprised to see LA cut ties with Wilhelmsson so fast?
Share your thoughts below.