Rumor: LAFC interested in Uruguayan winger Brian Lozano

Update: LAFC staff writer Vince La Rosa said on Twitter that LAFC have no offer in for Lozano and aren’t in talks over him, “on good authority.”

A report emerged on Saturday from Fox Sports Mexico’s Jorge Victor Garcia that Los Angeles Football Club are one of the clubs pursuing Uruguayan winger Brian Lozano, currently enjoying a fantastic season at Santos Laguna.

Most notably, perhaps, Garcia claims LAFC are willing to pay $12 million for Lozano.

The 25-year-old has split his career between Uruguay, playing for Defensor Sporting and Nacional, and Mexico, at Club América and Santos Laguna, and has put together two terrific seasons in the past two years with Santos. It’s not a stretch to say he’s one of the stars of Liga MX right now.

Garcia says that LAFC and Cruz Azul are both interested in the player, who is also a Uruguayan international, having played alongside LAFC’s Brian Rodriguez as recently as this month.

Now, what to make of this rumor? Nothing yet suggests there’s much beyond Garcia’s claim, and I’m a bit skeptical. Is this plausible? Certainly. The $12 million figure is steep but if LAFC sell a player in the January window, like Diego Rossi, for more than $10 million, then this makes a lot more sense, and Lozano is much more proven in his career so far than Rossi and Rodriguez, so he’d presumably be able to make an immediate impact in MLS and Concacaf Champions League.

But when you’re a big club, you get linked to tons of rumors, some real, some made because they seem reasonable enough or to help drive up demand for a player. I think this is one of those that you have to wait and see. If Rossi is sold then that opens up a spot in the lineup and some transfer funds, but we can’t bank on a big transfer unless and until that actually happens. It’s conceivable Lozano could be added and Rossi stay on the roster, too, but then LAFC will have four players in three spots and a lot of money put into a guy, whoever it is, who will be on the bench. LAFC may be trying to push the boundaries in MLS but we’re not quite there yet.

So wait and see on this one. If it gets picked up by the American reporters, then maybe we’re cooking with fire. Stay tuned.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!