The San Jose Earthquakes announced a major signing Thursday that they hope will catapult them out of the bottom of the MLS standings.
The Quakes signed 23-year-old Hernán López, an Argentinian attacking midfielder acquired via a club-record transfer fee of almost $6 million (with another $1 million in incentives), which is double the previous record of almost $3 million that the club paid for Carlos Gruezo before the 2023 season.
López will arrive from Godoy Cruz in the Argentine Primera Division. The designated player is signed through 2026 with club options for 2027 and 2028. He is expected to make his Quakes debut next month once his work visa goes through, a process that usually takes a few weeks.
López, the great-nephew of Diego Maradona, has spent five seasons in Argentina’s top league, with 12 goals and seven assists during that span. The left-footed No. 10 has seven goals and six assists over the last season-and-a-half with Godoy Cruz.
“To choose to come here during the prime of his career makes us all very excited about not only what that means for us today, because he’s gonna come in and help us win games right now, but also the future of this club,” general manager Chris Leitch said Thursday.
Leitch said that the team was going after offensive-minded players during the most recent transfer market after 28 of its 35 games last year were decided by one goal.
López is joining a San Jose team that has won just one of its first nine games and has three points, the fewest in the 29-team league. The Quakes have allowed 24 goals, six more than any other team, under second-year coach Luchi Gonzalez.
“We’re all on the hot seat,” Leitch said. “We’re a result-oriented business.”
Magic on the ball 🪄. Greatness in his blood 🐐.
Hernán López. Coming soon to a midfield near you. pic.twitter.com/iqk4cFYgx8
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) April 25, 2024