San Diego FC sign Mexican winger Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano in first big signing for MLS expansion team
Lozano, a winger with PSV Eindhoven and the Mexican national team, will be San Diego's first Designated Player in its inaugural season
San Diego FC has signed Mexican national team member Hirving "Chucky" Lozano to join MLS with a four-year deal, the club announced Thursday.
Lozano, a winger with PSV Eindhoven and the Mexican national team, will be San Diego's first Designated Player in its inaugural season. San Diego FC — MLS' latest expansion team — is set to join the league in 2025.
𝘽𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙙𝙤 𝙖 𝙎𝙖𝙣 𝘿𝙞𝙚𝙜𝙤, 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮.
San Diego FC has signed Hirving “Chucky” Lozano to a four-year contract.
The 28-year-old Mexican International star will make his debut for the Club in February 2025.
Read more ⬇— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) June 6, 2024
According to the club, Lozano will remain with PSV Eindhoven through 2024 and will join San Diego in January 2025, ahead of the season start in February.
"It’s an honor to join San Diego FC as the Club’s first Designated Player," Lozano said in a press release. "In every country I have played, I always strive to leave a mark, and making an impact in San Diego and MLS is very important to me."
Lozano is the biggest signing yet for San Diego, which is paying a reported $12 million transfer fee to bring the 28-year-old forward to the States, per The Athletic.
San Diego previously signed American goalkeeper Duran Ferree and Danish veterans Jeppe Tverskov and Marcus Ingvartsen, with plenty more signings anticipated in the next six months to fill the roster. Other stars, such as Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, have been linked to San Diego, with reports that they are in talks to sign with the expansion team.
Lozano has received numerous honors for both club and country, being named to the CONCACAF Best XI four times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021) while winning the Dutch league Eredivisie twice (2017-18, 2023-24) with PSV and winning Serie A with Napoli in 2022-23. He has 70 caps and 18 goals for Mexico, making him one of the most experienced active players on the national team.
Lozano will be officially introduced to fans and media June 13 with a news conference at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium followed by a fan fest.
