LA Galaxy acquire Kévin Cabral as Young Designated Player

The LA Galaxy made it official on Thursday, announcing they have acquired French attacker Kévin Cabral in a transfer from Ligue 2 side Valenciennes. To facilitate the deal, the Galaxy sent FC Cincinnati $250,000 in general allocation money, a 2022 first-round draft pick and possible additional performance-based incentives if the player hits those, in order to acquire Cabral’s discovery rights in MLS.

The 21-year-old has spent his entire pro career to date with Valenciennes, making 70 appearances since his debut in 2018 with the first team. In the midst of a career season in which he’s scored seven goals and five assists, Cabral will count as a Designated Player for the Galaxy, although he is a Young Designated Player in line with a new league initiative to promote teams acquiring a higher level of young talent from abroad.

“Kévin is a young and dynamic player who will give us versatility in the attack,” said LA Galaxy General Manager Dennis te Kloese in a team statement. “He is an emerging talent and has shown to be a bright prospect in France. At 21 years of age, he will continue to grow and develop as a player within our club. We are excited that such a young talent has chosen the Galaxy as the next destination in his career. We look forward to welcoming him to Los Angeles and for his contributions as a member of our organization.”

Expect Cabral to be thrown into the lineup as soon as he’s in town and through quarantine, since he’s already in game fitness. It’s unclear if he’ll be available for the season opener on Apr. 18 against Inter Miami, but we’ll see.

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