Richie Ledezma is moving ever closer to joining Liga MX.
Ledezma is on the verge of joining Chivas on a free transfer from Dutch giants PSV, a source close to the player confirmed to SBI. Chivas has been targeting Ledezma for most of 2025 and remains ahead in the race for his signature.
Despite multiple reports confirming the deal, Ledezma has not signed with Chivas at this time. ESPN NL was the first to report that Ledezma has signed a four-year contract while GiveMeSport has since confirmed that Ledezma has been granted a Mexican passport.
Ledezma, 24, is coming off of his best club season yet with PSV, logging 38 appearances in all competitions. After previously featuring as an attacking midfielder, Ledezma was used as a right back this season, which helped get his career back on track.
He helped PSV repeat as Eredivisie champions this May, alongside U.S. men’s national team trio Malik Tillman, Sergino Dest, and Ricardo Pepi.
A former USYNT standout, Ledezma has only earned one senior cap to date, which has led to Mexico fighting for him to switch his allegiance. He was named to the USMNT’s 60-player preliminary roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but did not make Mauricio Pochettino’s 27-player June roster.
Mexico did not name Ledezma in their roster plans for the summer tournament.
Chivas finished 11th in the Liga MX Clausura standings this spring, missing out on the playoffs. They will return to action this July for the start of the 2025 Leagues Cup.
club form discussion is basically a flex. let me hit you with how much i read boxscores. what some of you seem to be missing is subs can be picked for particular tactical uses, do not need to be 90-fit for that purpose. if we need someone to go in and hit accurate crosses for 15 minutes, whether he won his position battle at PSV to start all the time is almost besides the point — unless he’s not fit to get open (and get back) or sharp to hit the cross like usual.
at which point, duh, dude, anyone called to camp will probably train for a week straight. then get some minutes in friendlies. then a rhythm of more practice and gold cup games. if you rate him higher on technical aspects, you use the camp to get them fit. and then if he can hit the balls you want in friendlies and group games, he gets a tournament role. if he can’t, we find someone else, which is the luxury of a 26 man roster limit.
it’s amusing to hear all the “but his defense” discussion from folks eager to see dest back. for all the talk of workrate and solidifying the back a lot of what i see is swashbuckling attacking backs, not shaq moore types.
i dunno, this is an odd duck. we talk big on defense then call backs who are easy to beat. and we can’t seem to commit to this being either an offensive risktaking operation — with mids more like the wingbacks — or a defensive grinder team — with wingbacks and a formation more like the mids. neither fish nor fowl. ledezma would fit taking this more in a dutch direction — which is more where wingback is for this team anyway, at least right now.
Ledezma is in the mode of Julian Gressell or Brad Davis to go back a few more years. Great crosser but not especially athletic. He’s gotten better throughout the year as a defender but it’s not natural to him as an attacking player. So where does that fit in, in the current system? There isn’t really a first team go that he’s a like for like for. There isn’t a striker that is looking to head in crossers. Not saying a role couldn’t be found for him but it would take some reconfiguration.
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As for El Tri, they’ve been using kind of a 3-4-3. Which puts him up against Roberto Alvarez, Julian Araujo wont be easy to dislodge once he’s fully recovered from his knee injury as a true RB. Huesca is young up and comer RB with Copenhagen. So it’s not a clear path with El Tri either.
Johhnyrazor,
I like Richie, I’m glad he is healthy, I believe he possesses quality technique, and I’m happy that his club career is getting traction again. Unfortunately, he has not shown enough to merit consideration for a roster spot with the USMNT. Currently, he is not better than anyone at RB or AM in the USMNT pool. Additionally, his communication through the media indicating he is considering playing for Mexico will not help his case with the USMNT.
Regarding a possible switch to Mexico. It is his career and his decision, so he should do what he feels is best for him. That said, I am steadfast in my belief that if you do not want to fight and earn your spot with the USMNT, hasta la vista, baby! ( said the voice of Arnold Schwarznegger, as the Terminator )
What I would do is remind Richie of a few names…Richard Sanchez, Jonathan Gonzalez, and Efrain Alvarez…all dual nationals that had done nothing to merit a USMNT call up, and as a result, decided to make a one-time switch, thinking the grass was greener on the other side, yet one ( Richard ) never appeared for the full Mexican National Team, the other ( Jonathan ) had a cup of coffee with the full Mexican National team, yet quickly showed that he has done nothing to merit the call up, and the last one ( Alvarez ) still has a chance to make something of his one-time switch, but has quickly learned that there are no guarantees, no matter which national team you play for. For Alvarez, early signs are not good that his switch will blossom into a good move. At the end of the day, you have to earn and merit the opportunity, no matter the team.
Lastly, “There isn’t a striker that is looking to head in crossers.”…is an inaccurate statement. Pepi is able to do so, but he needs the service though, but doesn’t get it consistently. He doesn’t get it from Pulisic, he can get it from Weah, but doesn’t get enough of it. Robinson has improved his crossing for Fulham in the EPL, but has not shown the same for the USMNT. Dest can do so, but prefers to dribble by doing step-overs and nutmegging people so he can post it on Instagram. Serve in early balls to Pepi and he will score even more goals for the USMNT.
Pepi has 7 headed goals in 57 pro goals. About 1 per season. I’m not saying he can’t or Sargent, Balo, or Wright can’t, but it’s not their preferred way. Sargent actually has the most headed goals with 12 going back to 2018. Of course despite the excellent balls that Richie can hit he only connected on one assist all season for PSV, a header by Perisic.
are you serious, where does a pure crossing wingback fit in our system? is that a serious question? to me the irony is his lack of strong defending skill is used as a diss for him but not most of the rest of the wingback pool.
but, dude, if we are not going to grow out of take the ball to the flag and cross it, the value of someone who can drop that cross accurately on a head as opposed to aimlessly whack balls in 2 feet two high or ahead of the target, should be obvious. like in some 0-1 margin game you put him and vazquez on then start hitting crosses. crude but effective.
not that we’re that elegant for real anyway. we’re kind of poseurs in that sense. the common mantra i keep hearing is defensive work rate, which, while all well and good, you don’t normally have to beg for, and doesn’t really fit the scheme.
Would he be eligible for a 1-time switch to Mexico?
I’m not saying he’d make the 23 for the WC. I’m saying is that he’s finally fit and getting playing time. It’s not like we have a lot of quality options at RB. With injuries or an even better 25-26 season, he could play his way onto the roster.
The question for him IF he’s eligible is does he have a better chance making the El Tri roster or ours?
We have more quality options at right back than pretty much any position on the field. He’s not better than Dest. Is he better than Fossey, Scally, Shaq Moore, Harriel? Heck, Poch could even move Adams to RB in a pinch, or if he wants to use true wing backs, he could put Weah, Musah, or McKennie there.
Ledezma played right back as an emergency replacement for Dest, on a team which was significantly better than its opponent most weeks. It’s a real leap to suggest that he’s an international level RB.
sorry but this is more of your kick araujo in the tookus on his way out the door stuff. it’s easy for a self styled patriot who gets the direction the wind is changing to align themselves with the ledezma-bash squad. you then start offering up some names i like but when i mention them you giggle. moore, fossey, etc.
your better argument, if you were paying attention, is what kind of genius goes to mexico that is starting to accumulate former-american players they don’t necessarily use.
i mean like they have already poached araujo same slot. at a point of stealing multiple guys with whom you overlap, including a guy on double figure caps, maybe think that someone has to lose that competition.
but anyhow, someone who we scouted then passed on this spring/summer who just got his passport, you don’t need a weatherman to know what direction that wind is blowing.
He has better chance making el tri roster imho, don’t know what’s taking him so long, guess he thought he could fight his way back in USMNT, but Poch keeps pushing him out.
“Poch keeps pushing him out.”
That’s not true. Richie is not entitled to a spot with the USMNT. He has to earn it.
Pochettino has proven that he’s open minded about giving deserving players a shot.
But Richie’s case for him getting a shot over other players is weak. For example, if he had convinced PSV to keep playing him at Right Back over Sergino that would say something. But Richie failed to do that.
So we know that, at most, he is second best to Dest.
And that’s not Pochettino’s fault.
By not giving him a look is pushing him out, imho just like beerholder pushed out John Brooks. Your whole RB rant has nothing to do with my comment Vacqui, smh
“By not giving him a look is pushing him out, imho just like beerholder pushed out John Brooks.”
JAB pushed himself out. Actually, Tim Ream probably pushed out JAB not Gregg. Managers set the criteria, players just have to meet them. And managers will always make room for guys they think will help them win.
You seem to be under the impression that the USMNT manager is supposed to make sure every single eligible player gets a real live call up regardless of how that player compares with the other candidates.
Look up the schedule. Pochettino and his staff have to very little time to work with the players like Richie. They already don’t have near enough time to work with better right back candidates than him.
SNC,
I’m a big Richie fan but johnny99 pretty much has it covered.
When Sergino got back I was waiting to see if any sort of contest over the RB spot would happen but after a period of transition it became clear that Dest is their unquestioned first choice right back. I was hoping PSV would give him a shot at his original spot, creative midfielder, but there’s another damn American in the way there. Other than Friedel keeping Guzan on the bench at Aston Villa, I don’t remember that happening much in the past.
Moving to Chivas does not necessarily rule him out for further USMNT participation but I’m not holding my breath.