LA Galaxy transfer Rayan Raveloson to Auxerre

The LA Galaxy confirmed today they have transferred midfielder Rayan Raveloson to French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre, effective immediately. The news was initially reported by Paul Tenorio of The Athletic on Wednesday.

Raveloson exits the Galaxy after playing about the last 14 months with the club, making 44 appearances in MLS regular season play (plus four U.S. Open Cup appearances), scoring eight goals and five assists, all in league play.

“We are thankful and appreciative of Rayan’s contributions to the LA Galaxy,” said LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney in a statement. “We wish him the best as he returns back to Ligue 1 for the next phase of his career.”

The 25-year-old was transferred from Troyes in May 2021, and has split his time between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 in his career, so in some ways, he probably isn’t unhappy to be returning to the only other country he’s played in his career. Auxerre were just promoted to Ligue 1 for the upcoming season, so they will probably be excited to bring Raveloson on and hope he can help them stay up.

For the Galaxy, it appears Raveloson’s move is a “needs must” situation. With Greg Vanney trying to retool the roster this year and finally get the team on track and heading toward contender status for good, it is clear at this point that the current group’s ceiling is to sneak into the playoffs. While Raveloson always put in a good shift and has been playing very well lately, he’s the one player in the midfield who can command a transfer fee right now, and with the Galaxy trying to land FC Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, selling Raveloson and freeing up an international slot will likely facilitate the other move. Even with Raveloson being a respected player, did he really fit in the Galaxy midfield seamlessly in the system being used this season? No, he didn’t. So it may have made sense for all parties, even if his energy, goals and dedication will certainly be missed.

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