LA Galaxy acquire João Klauss from St. Louis CITY | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade 

The LA Galaxy have acquired striker João Klauss from St. Louis CITY SC, the clubs announced Tuesday. 

In exchange for the 28-year-old Brazilian, St. Louis receive $2.375 million in a cash-for-player trade.

Klauss will occupy a Designated Player spot that opened after the Galaxy placed playmaker Riqui Puig on the Season-Ending Injury List following a second ACL surgery. LA's other two DPs are Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil. 

“João has established himself as a fierce competitor and great teammate and we are excited to welcome him to the group,” said LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said. 

“We look forward to benefiting from the leadership and tenacity he has displayed during his time in MLS as we prepare for the upcoming season."    

Klauss has a club-record 27 goals in 85 appearances across all competitions since joining St. Louis as their first-ever Designated Player ahead of their 2023 expansion season.

He had previous stints in the German Bundesliga (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), the Belgian Pro League (Standard Liège and Sint-Truidense V.V), Finland's top flight (HJK Helsinki) and the Austrian Bundesliga (LASK).

“Klauss has been an important part of the club and gave our fans unforgettable memories, especially during that first season,” St. Louis sporting director Corey Wray said.

“He represented CITY SC and this city with passion and will always be part of the history of this club. We thank Klauss for his enormous contributions and wish him nothing but success in the next chapter of his career.”

“While we did not plan to make this move ahead of the season, this was an opportunity that made sense for both Klauss and the club, especially with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

The funds we receive give us meaningful flexibility, and we’re excited to reinvest into the roster as we continue to build and improve the squad over the upcoming transfer windows,” continued Wray.   

LA's 2026 MLS campaign starts on Feb. 22 against New York City FC (7 pm ET | Apple TV). They'll also compete in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.

St. Louis kick off the MLS season on Feb. 21 when hosting Charlotte FC at Energizer Park (2:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker