The LA Galaxy didn’t just make a signing — they made a statement on Tuesday.
The sleeping giants of Major League Soccer acquired Brazilian forward João Klauss from St. Louis CITY SC in a $2.375 million cash-for-player deal, that gives the five-time MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy a crucial Designated Player that was vacant after Riqui Puig was placed on the season-ending injury list earlier this month.
Klauss had 27 goals in 85 matches, double-digit seasons in 2023 and 2025. MLS via Getty ImagesThe Galaxy finished second-to-last in the Western Conference in 2025, and with Puig out, they don’t want toil at the bottom of the table for another season. At 28 years old, Klauss arrives as a weapon that can’t be unleashed upon opponents immediately.
A striker forged through Bundesliga football with Hoffenheim, hardened in Austria with LASK, sharpened in Belgium with Standard Liège, and baptized in MLS pressure with St. Louis CITY. His resume carries European nights, UEFA Europa League experience, and continental battles in the Concacaf Champions Cup — the kind of footballing scar tissue that doesn’t show up on stat sheets but wins games in April and trophies in November.
The deal gives the five-time MLS Cup champs a crucial Designated Player that was vacant after Riqui Puig was placed on the season-ending injury list this month. ISI Photos via Getty ImagesKlauss had 27 goals in 85 matches, double-digit seasons in 2023 and 2025, and that unforgettable hat trick against LA last June. Now he joins Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, forming a frontline that doesn’t ask questions — it applies pressure.
“Fierce competitor,” said Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz, and the words fit. Klauss had 27 goals in 85 matches, double-digit seasons in 2023 and 2025. His arrival forms a dangerous trident with Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, injecting bite, balance, and purpose into Los Angeles’ frontline as the club reloads for the season ahead.
