Liga MX giants Tigres UANL bid this week for Joveljic, but SKC are now at the final steps to complete a deal. SKC will pay a fee in the region of $4 million for Joveljic.
Joveljic may soon be the first player acquired in MLS via the new internal cash trade system, a rule passed earlier this month. SKC will pay cash for Joveljic rather than allocation money.
The forward is in the final year of his contract and is likely to sign a new deal with SKC as part of the deal. The Galaxy didn’t have a designated player spot to offer him the same kind of money SKC, Tigres or another club could.
Joveljic, 25, starred for the Galaxy as they won MLS Cup this year, his best season in MLS. He had 21 goals and seven assists across 33 appearances this season, including six goals and two assists in five playoff games (397 minutes). He scored in the final as the Galaxy beat the NY Red Bulls.
The Serbian international initially joined the Galaxy via the U-22 initiative, but he ages out of that category this year, meaning he’ll hit the cap at a higher number whether he signed a new contract or not. The Galaxy have been working around the salary cap, including deals to trade Jalen Neal (CF Montréal), Mark Delgado (LAFC) and Gaston Brugman (Nashville SC).
Joveljic previously featured for Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsberger AC and Anderlecht after breaking through at Red Star Belgrade.
Sporting KC are already finalizing deals to sign attacking midfielder Manu Garcia and winger Shapi Suleymanov as the club remakes the squad for 2025.
