The LA Galaxy announced the signing of U.S. international Jermaine Jones on Wednesday, using targeted allocation money to add the former Colorado Rapids midfielder.
LA acquired the rights to Jones from Colorado last month in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2017 MLS draft, along with a conditional second-round selection in the 2018 draft.
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“Jermaine is a winner who has experience in MLS and playing against the highest competition in the world,” Galaxy coach Curt Onalfo said in a news release. “He has a relentless engine on the field and we are confident that he will strengthen our midfield. We look forward to him joining the Galaxy as we prepare for the upcoming season."
BREAKING: #LAGalaxy sign midfielder @Jermainejunior: https://t.co/v2WDiSQsyY pic.twitter.com/xeXgzabqxU
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) January 18, 2017
Jones joins his third MLS club after spending time with the Rapids and the New England Revolution. He recorded three goals and two assists over 13 appearances for the Rapids in 2016, though he missed significant time through suspension, injuries and national team duty.
Prior to his time in MLS, Jones had an extensive career in his native Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04. He also had brief stints at Blackburn Rovers and Turkish side Beşiktaş.
A veteran of the U.S. national team, Jones has accumulated 67 caps since his international debut for the Americans in 2010.
The 35-year-old is poised to fill the central midfield void left by Steven Gerrard's retirement and the departure of Jeff Larentowicz to Atlanta United this offseason. Jones will not be a designated player, leaving the Galaxy with two open DP slots following the exits of Gerrard and Robbie Keane.