The 2018 World Cup veteran has arrived in Mexico City, but fans are more concerned about who may be leaving the nest
This transfer window has been more about who is leaving than who is arriving for Club America fans.
Saying farewell to 35-year-old forward Oribe Peralta, who joined rival Chivas, may not have been too tough. Not only are forwards Nicolas Castillo and Roger Martinez on the books, Henry Martin signed an extension in the offseason to stay in Mexico City.
That said, Martinez has been linked with a move away from the capital after some good showings with Colombia at the Copa America. He’s hardly the only player who may be leaving the club. While manager Miguel Herrera and sporting director Santiago Banos said Monday that no move is finalized, it certainly seems like midfielder Edson Alvarez is going to be an Ajax player sooner rather than later. The midfield would look totally different if Guido Rodriguez followed him out the door. The Argentina international is coveted by clubs in Europe with Real Betis and Eibar mentioned as potential destinations.
Other than that, the squad is largely in tact from the team that won the Apertura in 2018 and fell to Leon on a tiebreaker in the 2019 Clausura semifinals. A number of youth players, like defenders Oswaldo Leon and Daniel Zamora were loaned out to Zacatepec to get more minutes.
The big-time addition is Giovani dos Santos, though it’s unclear how well the 30-year-old will fit in during his first-ever tournament in Liga MX. Most recently with the LA Galaxy, Gio was dropped by the MLS team so it could meet roster requirements. He’s spent the last six months recovering from an injury and working back to match fitness while looking for a club.
There are other new faces in the nest as well. Fernando Gonzalez joined the club from Necaxa and started in America’s win over Tigres in the Campeon de Campeones match – though he did have his kick in the penalty shootout saved. Alejandro “Wero” Diaz is back after a quiet loan stint with Atlas.
Earlier in the summer, the club was linked with Emiliano Rigoni, but the Zenit Saint Petersburg winger now seems set for a Serie A move. The Mexican press says Diego Reyes could come back to America after a rough few seasons in Europe, but Herrera denied he was trying to bring the center back/midfielder back to the Estadio Azteca.
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