UPDATE (Feb. 16, 1:35 pm ET): The deal for Independiente center back Alan Franco is reportedly getting closer for the LA Galaxy. ESPN reporter Rodrigo S. Volpi tweeted the club upped the offer to $3.5 million for the 23-year-old, who would likely leave in March at the conclusion of the Superliga campaign.
Alan Franco está cerca de irse de #Independiente al LA Galaxy, que ofrece 3.5M USD limpios por el 50%. El central se quiere ir y la idea es que sea en marzo, cuando termina la Superliga. pic.twitter.com/syJDVCzBPt
— Rodrigo S. Volpi (@rsvolpi) February 15, 2020
TRANSFER TRACKER: Report
The LA Galaxy have already added Argentine left back Emiliano Insua this offseason, and now a center back from the same country has been linked to the club, according to reports out of South America.
Independiente center back Alan Franco has been identified as a player of interest for LA, with one report stating an offer of $2.2 million was received and deemed insufficient. The reports indicate that no deal is imminent, though an improved price could reportedly make the 23-year-old available.
🚨🚨 Llegó una oferta formal de Los Ángeles Galaxy por Alan Franco de u$s 2.200.000 por la mitad del pase.
— César Luis Merlo (@CLMerlo) February 12, 2020
*️⃣La dirigencia de Independiente la consideró insuficiente.
*️⃣Si la mejoran, el defensor puede llegar a… https://t.co/95w8O4ZOO0
💣Llegó una oferta formal de #LosAngelesGalaxy por Alan Franco. Ofertó 2.5 M dólar netos por el 50%. Acaba de finalizar una reunión. #Independiente pic.twitter.com/RM3UW0nH2K
— Matias Martinez (@Mati_Martinez) February 12, 2020
Franco has been with Independiente since 2017 (95 appearances) and made his debut for Argentina’s national team in a September 2018 friendly against Guatemala. He’s also a former teammate of Atlanta United midfielder Ezequiel Barco at the Primera Division club.
The Galaxy could feasibly be searching for another center back, with their roster currently including Daniel Steres, Giancarlo Gonzalez and newcomer Nick DePuy as primary options up the spine. LA conceded 59 goals last year, which was the most of all Audi MLS Cup Playoff teams.
