There's been plenty of speculation that with the LA Galaxy currently carrying four Designated Players – one over the league limit – the player who failed to really shine of that group last year, Giovani dos Santos, could be on his way out before the 2019 MLS regular season.
Not so fast, says his brother, and one of the other DPs in that quartet.
"Gio stays ... Without a doubt," said Jonathan dos Santos to reporters at Galaxy training on Wednesday, as reported by FutbolMLS.com.
"The team needs him, he is a great player. Not all the teams have a player with the quality of Giovani, we need him this year and he will stay," the midfielder also noted.
Giovani dos Santos joined LA during the 2015 season. While he had a strong 2016 campaign, injuries and international duty have contributed to diminishing returns the last two seasons, as the Galaxy struggled mightily and failed to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs. Last year, he had three goals and two assists in 14 regular season appearances.
Jonathan dos Santos joined his brother as a Designated Player during the 2017 season, as the brothers reunited after last playing together at Spanish club Villarreal. Jonathan, a holding midfielder, played a different role than his brother but was regarded as one of a handful of Galaxy players who largely performed well during a tough season, as he made 23 appearances, scoring two goals and eight assists.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming off a monster debut season with the Galaxy and signing a Designated Player deal in the offseason, speculation has focused on a possible departure for Giovani or the final DP, French winger Romain Alessandrini, who had 11 goals and nine assists in 2018. The Galaxy have roughly a month to pare their roster to three Designated Players.
