The LA Galaxy announced on Wednesday that Mexico international and former Villarreal player Giovani dos Santos has signed on to join the Major League Soccer outfit.
IT'S OFFICIAL: The #LAGalaxy have signed @OficialGio: http://t.co/QcGG6xl6Wd #BienveniDosSantos pic.twitter.com/AaWQng7Lp1
- LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 15, 2015
News of a Dos Santos move to MLS had been circulating in recent weeks and an LA Times report on Tuesday claimed the reigning MLS Cup champions were set to pay a $7 million transfer fee for the 26-year-old.
The Dos Santos family's legal representative Jesus Rodriguez Davalos has said the deal is for 4 1/2 years, although the club would not confirm the length of the contract.
With three designated players already on the Galaxy books -- Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and U.S. defender Omar Gonzalez -- LA needed to wait until the MLS adopted new salary cap rules last week before completing the Dos Santos deal.
"There's a lot of things that have to happen for a deal of this magnitude," Galaxy president Chris Klein said. "We've had an interest in Giovani dos Santos. And I think he's always had an interest in us.
"It just took time for everything to come together."
In his last two seasons with Spain's Villareal, Dos Santos scored 12 goals in 58 La Liga appearances. The versatile 26-year-old from Monterrey began his pro career with Barcelona before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.
Dos Santos also has played for Mexico in two World Cups during nearly a decade with El Tri. He is the highest-profile Mexican star ever signed by the Galaxy, who hope to win new fans among Southern California's Latinos and in Mexico.
Dos Santos will join the Galaxy in August after the Gold Cup.