It’s no secret that Los Angeles Galaxy sees midfielder Riqui Puig as one of their key players for the future. On Wednesday, the MLS side doubled down on their commitment to the talented Spaniard by making him a Designated Player.
Puig fills out the Galaxy’s last remaining DP spot. The team already had striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and winger Douglas Costa as their DP players.
Puig arrived in LA last summer on a free transfer from La Liga giants Barcelona. He immediately showed he is a great addition to Galaxy, scoring three goals and dishing two assists in only 10 games.
“We are excited to announce Riqui Puig as our newest Designated Player,” LA head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney said. “Riqui is an exceptional talent that has the capacity to impact games in many different ways. He is a tireless competitor with a combination of awareness and precision at high speed that is truly unique. We look forward to his continued contributions to the club for years to come.”
LA Galaxy didn’t reveal the financial terms of Riqui Puig’s DP status, although some mention the 23-year-old earning as much as $6.5 million annually. He was originally brought in with Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and earned a base salary of $1.61 million in 2022.
