Incoming MLS expansion side San Diego FC are reportedly lining up Mexico international Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano as their first big signing before they begin play in 2025.
Though a deal is not done yet, San Diego hope to finalize things before June's Copa America, where Lozano is expected to play a big role with El Tri, according to The Athletic. The Southern California club are expected to pay a transfer fee of around $12 million to his current club, PSV.
The 28-year-old Lozano has scored six goals in 29 games across all competitions this season with PSV, his first since leaving the Dutch club in 2020 to play in Italy with Napoli. He is a Serie A champion with Napoli and won the Eredivisie during his first spell at PSV, and also won Liga MX Clausura in 2016 and the Concacaf Champions Cup the following year with Pachuca, where he broke out as one of Mexico's most promising players. The winger has 18 goals in 70 games for El Tri and remains a focal point as they prepare to co-host the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Canada.
Lozano is a big name for San Diego, a club still very much at the beginning of formulating their tactical identity. They have yet to name a head coach or a sporting director and have just three players on their roster -- Danes Jeppe Tverskov and Marcus Ingvartsen, who currently play for San Diego's sibling club Nordsjaelland and Duran Ferree, who has experience in the USL Championship.
The Mexico international will likely be positioned as the team's star, and would not be the first member of the national team to follow that path. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez did the same for the LA Galaxy, for whom he scored 39 goals in 82 games from 2020 to 2023.
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