LA Galaxy parts ways with beloved team captain Jonathan Dos Santos

 Jonathan Dos Santos  is no longer a player for the LA Galaxy, the team he was very vocal about wanting to retire with.

After four and a half seasons with the team, the Mexican international’s contract expired this fall, with the team confirming on Monday it will not offer him a new one.

“We appreciate Jonathan, everything that he’s put into the club and how much that this club is in his heart,” said team president Chris Klein. “But we just felt that it was it was time to move on.”

The 31-year-old began his career in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, alongside older brother Giovani Dos Santos, when he was 12. He was reunited with Gio on the Galaxy midway through the 2017 season, when he joined the team from Villarreal of Spain’s La Liga. Though the brothers’ time together on the team was short, it was clear how much Jona loved playing in Los Angeles.

Dos Santos scored five goals and had 12 assists in his first 2½ seasons, but injuries limited his playing time the last two years, sitting out nearly a third of the Galaxy’s 56 games. Obviously, this posed a problem for the team as he was their second-highest-paid player, making $2 million last season. Plus, his departure opens up a designated-player spot for coach Greg Vanney.

“That designated-player spot is something that is certainly important to Greg and it was always important for kind of the next stage of the team,” Klein said.

During his time with the Galaxy, Dos Santos quickly became a popular teammate among players and fans, being given the captain’s armband. He also studied English with a tutor and began doing interviews in his second language this year, hoping to remain in Southern California when his playing career is over.

While it’s unclear where Jona is headed now, he took to social media following the news to thank Galaxy players, staff, and friends for all of their support over the last four and a half years. 

“I want to thank my Galaxy family for the love they have always shown, the club, technical staff, teammates and above all the great fans that were always there,” he wrrote on Monday, November 29. “Thank you for your support and thank you for always welcoming me with open arms. You will always be part of my history in LA.”