With Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window closing on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Football Club made one more move.
Backup goalkeeper Abraham Romero is headed to Columbus in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money, LAFC announced, wrapping up a busy transaction period in which the club added an international superstar, Olivier Giroud, and midfielder Lewis O’Brien, a starter in the English Championship with previous MLS experience.
Giroud, 37, made his LAFC debut on Tuesday.
O’Brien, 25, is waiting for the visa process to sort out before he can join his new teammates through at least the end of the year.
Last week, LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo described the global transfer market as “pretty slow,” noting that not many clubs are currently buying players.
“We are not the Alpha Male of the football world, so we don’t dictate the market,” Cherundolo said. “Nor do we have endless amounts of cash. We have a salary cap. We’re very specific in what we’re doing and we are dependent on other things, too.”
Romero is among a handful of LAFC players whose futures will unfold outside of L.A.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper signed last year, serving as the understudy for Hugo Lloris while getting some action with LAFC2 in MLS Next Pro competition. Romero started in a pair of U.S. Open Cup victories and a Leagues Cup group stage contest for LAFC in 2024. When he didn’t play, the goalkeeper described his job as doing whatever he could to prepare the team for games.
“I enjoy trying to help out the guys as much as I can,” the Pasadena-born player said earlier in the season. “If they want to stay and do extra work or they just want to sit down and chat. It’s a very different role. I enjoy both. Obviously, I enjoy playing but I think of myself as a team player and I always want the team to do well before anything individual.”
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Behind Lloris, LAFC will now rely on 25-year-old Canadian Thomas Hasal, who came to the club in June on a deal through 2025, as well as David Ochoa, 23, who has 13 starts for LAFC2 this season.
In addition to Romero’s departure center back Mamadou Fall, 21, was transferred to FC Barcelona on July 22 after moving to Spain on loan last September. He joins winger Stipe Biuk in La Liga, where the 21-year-old Croatian’s loan to Real Valladolid became permanent last month.
Spanish forward Mario González, 28, went out on loan to F.C. Famalicão of Portugal in early August. The same day, Colombian attacker Tomás Ángel, 21, joined Phoenix Rising of the United Soccer League Championship on a loan through 2024.
LAFC also announced that it mutually agreed to a contract termination with 25-year-old Uruguayan midfielder Francisco Ginella, who was playing in his home country on a loan for the past two seasons.
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