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The LA Galaxy have announced the signing of Mexico international midfielder Jonathan dos Santos from Villarreal. The 27-year-old becomes the franchise's third designated player, joining his brother Giovani dos Santos and Romain Alessandrini. Jelle Van Damme, who signed a DP deal before the season, will have his contract bought down with targeted allocation money as expected. "Jonathan is a quality player that we think instantly becomes a top midfielder in Major League Soccer," Galaxy general manager Pete Vagenas said. "His signing will significantly improve our team as we continue to push for the playoffs and, ultimately, a sixth MLS Cup. We believe Jonathan will be a leader during the second half of this season and for years to come. We look forward to him joining our squad." "Jonathan is an excellent midfielder with a wide range of technical abilities," new Galaxy manager Sigi Schmid said. "He can fit into our lineup at a number of different positions and improve our team in multiple ways. He still has his best years of playing in front of him and we are excited to add him to our team." He will begin training on Friday, before being introduced to media during a news conference at 1 p.m. local time. Dos Santos, who scored two goals with three assists in La Liga last season, previously played with his brother at the Barcelona academy before Giovani signed for Tottenham in 2008. The two were then reunited at Villarreal when Jonathan left Barcelona to join the club in 2014, where his brother had moved a year earlier. Giovani, who is a year older, then left for the Galaxy in 2015. The Galaxy have struggled in their first season under coach Curt Onalfo, who was sacked on Thursday. They are just three points above the bottom in the Western Conference with six wins from 20 games and have lost five straight in MLS. ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.
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