LA Galaxy GM says club will “assess” Chicharito’s future

The 2020 season is rapidly approaching an end for the LA Galaxy, and it’s possible Chicharito could be the most relieved to reach the end of the campaign.

The Mexican superstar has one goal in 692 minutes with the Galaxy, taking just four shots on target in 10 games, and he’s been hurt almost half of the season.

Prior to the news on Thursday that the Galaxy have fired head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto with the team mired in last place in the Western Conference, Chicharito, who missed the last two games, returned again to social media with a post that was especially interesting in hindsight.

Instagram story screenshot

Rumors are flying that Chicharito’s current injury was not real, or that he and Schelotto didn’t see eye to eye, or that Chicharito is looking to move on from the Galaxy. For what it’s worth, I think at least some of those rumors are false, but which?

During Wednesday’s Galaxy game, which LA lost 5-2 at the Portland Timbers, general manager Dennis te Kloese was asked point blank if Chicharito is headed on loan to Chivas, his original club, something Te Kloese denied.

But on Thursday, after the news of Schelotto’s departure dropped, Te Kloese was far more cagey about whether Chicharito would be part of the club’s plans moving forward.

“I think Javier, with all the excitement at the beginning of the year, both from his side, from our side and from everybody responsible within this club, we haven’t been able to connect him to his full potential,” Te Kloese told reporters during a press conference. “Now obviously, with the challenges that we’ve gone through the entire year, it made it a very challenging year. His personal challenges obviously didn’t help at all and now we ended up in a situation that we have to go forward and we have to look forward also in first of all, representing the club in our best way possible, including Javier and any decisions and in anything that goes forward. I think [in due time] we’ll assess it in the right way.”

So, Te Kloese isn’t saying Chicharito is gone, but he’s not saying he’s absolutely sticking around, either. Perhaps that is absolutely fair, this is a rebuilding moment for the Galaxy, but it does seem notable, especially considering the denial about going to Chivas just a day before. Obviously this means nothing definitively, but it seems likely the rumor mill will continue to churn until we hear more about Chicharito’s future.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.