Galaxy sign Mexican national team midfielder Efraín Álvarez to two-year contract extension
The Galaxy have signed midfielder Efraín Álvarez to a two-year contract extension with a third-year option, a deal that keeps him under club control through the 2024 season.
A formal announcement is expected Thursday morning.
The signing was done under MLS’ U-22 initiative, which allows teams to sign players 22 and younger to lucrative contracts at a reduced charge against the league’s $4.9-million salary cap. The Galaxy signed defender Julian Araujo,19, to a 4½-year extension under the initiative last week.
Álvarez, 19, currently on duty with the Mexican national team, has appeared in nine games for the Galaxy this season, matching a career high with six starts and one goal. A homegrown player, Álvarez grew up in East Los Angeles and signed his first professional contract with the second-tier LA Galaxy II when he was 15, becoming the youngest signing in USL history.
Under his old contract, Álvarez was guaranteed $114,738 this season, according to figures provided by the MLS players’ union.
By signing the two teenagers to multiyear extensions, the Galaxy will benefit financially if the players transfer outside of MLS. Araujo was linked to European giants Tottenham and Juventus earlier this year.
Italy won the European championship by beating England 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
