The failed experiment that was Joao Pedro signing with LA Galaxy

In less than 18 months in MLS, Pedro played in 31 league games for the Galaxy but has made just three first-team appearances this season. He had some good moments in the middle of last season once player roles in the midfield had stabilized. He and Jermaine Jones never played well together (other than Michael Bradley, what other midfielder partners ever played well next to Jones?).

With the Galaxy reloading during the off-season, they eventually found themselves in a precarious situation of having just signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but not having enough international roster spots to be in compliance with the MLS Roster Rules and Regulations.

With Joao Pedro set to make just under $250,000 in 2018 in an increasingly crowded midfield, he was the odd man out and the easiest piece to move. He was initially loaned to LA Galaxy II, because it was easy.

In truth, the LA Galaxy completely botched Pedro’s time in MLS and he probably won’t play for the club ever again.

Let’s start with the finances. The club reportedly paid a $1.5 million transfer fee to acquire him. Even if they didn’t, they’re playing a player relegated to USL a quarter of a million dollars.

Initially, this move might have seemed like a good investment. MLS was trending towards younger talent. Pedro was a promising 23-year-old playing in the second division in Portugal.

The Galaxy might have been thinking that they could turn him into the next Juninho in 2-3 years. He could become a solid MLS player or they could develop him toward a Portuguese (or other MLS team) would want to buy him and they could turn a profit.

MLS is a league where League One journeyman Bradley Wright-Phillips can become a dominant scorer but European stars who compete for Champions League take a year or two to get settled. It’s a bit of a crapshoot in bringing players overseas without knowing which ones will adjust and thrive. And sometimes it takes two years to find out.

Pedro wasn’t great last year, struggling with the physicality of MLS. He also played on a dumpster fire of a team, with a crazy midfield partner, and had his number changed an unnecessary number of times. Then because the Galaxy couldn’t manage assets or roster build well, he was the odd man out when Zlatan fell into their lap.

Now he’s off to a bottom half of the table team in an average European first division. The good thing is he’s getting out of an organization he doesn’t have much hope of getting first team minutes. For the Galaxy, this is probably a play to try and get a club in Europe to take him off their hands.