Two new LA Galaxy players have been added to the reigning champions’ roster this week.
After dealing away current MLS Cup MVP Gaston Brugman and experienced Defender Martin Cáceres mere days after winning a record sixth title, the LA Galaxy have begun to reinforce the team to defend its crown.
The G’s made two signings in as many days, both backline additions, that are designed to improve their defense. And it can be argued they needed the reinforcements, with more LA Galaxy players leaving this off-season than arriving so far.
The Galaxy sold promising young Defender Jalen Neal to Montreal last week, leaving them with just one signed center-back a few weeks before the season starts.
Cue the arrivals.
On Wednesday, January 15, the Galaxy announced the signing of Center Back Mathias Zanka Jørgensen from Belgian side Anderlecht. The next day, Goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski was signed by LA as a free agent after a five-year stay with rival San Jose.
How will these new LA Galaxy players fit into the current roster, and what will they bring to the MLS Cup Champions?
Read More: 2024 LA Galaxy Among the Best Teams in MLS History
New LA Galaxy Players Zanka and Marcinkowski Join Reigning MLS Champs
Zanka/Marcinkowski Deal Details?
Financial details for the Zanka deal haven’t been released yet, so it remains to be seen what kind of financial package the Galaxy and his previous team, Anderlecht, negotiated.
What is known, however, is that LA was able to add the player to their ranks and still stay under the league salary cap.
Zanka joins Los Angeles on a two-year contract through the end of the 2026 MLS season. He’ll occupy an international roster slot and will be added to the Galaxy roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P1 Visa.
The experienced defender is currently valued at $800K on Transfermarkt.com.
Marcinkowski’s signing is relatively straightforward. No transfer fee with the Earthquakes was necessary to complete the deal.
The Galaxy announced they’d reached an agreement with the free agent on a two-year contract through the end of the 2026 MLS season, with a club option for 2027. The former San Jose Homegrown player will join the Galaxy immediately.
Who is Mathias Zanka Jørgensen?
Based on his experience, Zanka should become a big contributor to the side almost immediately.
The 34-year-old Danish National Team defender has represented his country at a World Cup, won multiple league titles as a vital member of the side, and played at the highest level in several countries.
The new arrival, who can also play as a right-back, has 37 career appearances (22 starts) for the Denmark Men’s National Team, recording two goals, one of which came in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Croatia. Zanka also has over 500 professional appearances in the top flights of Belgium, Denmark, England, Germany, Netherlands, and Turkey since making his professional debut in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup for boyhood club F.C. Copenhagen.
But the most important part of the equation is Zanka’s pedigree as a winner.
The defender won the Danish Superliga five times with Copenhagen, where he spent the longest tenure in his career. Add in another five Danish Cups, and you have a player who can add to an already vibrant championship culture in LA.
“We are thrilled to welcome Zanka to the LA Galaxy,” LA Galaxy General Manager Will Kuntz said via press release. “Zanka is a five-time Danish League and Danish Cup champion, has experience in the English Premier League, and has represented Denmark in over 30 matches including at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Zanka’s quality and experience will be a great addition to our group as we prepare to participate in multiple competitions in the upcoming season.”
More of a Cáceres replacement than a swap for Neal, Zanka will need to hit the ground running to supplant two aforementioned fan favorites. But if he shows the form that saw him earn international call-ups and win league titles, the Galaxy might’ve gotten a steal in signing Zanka as one of the newest LA Galaxy players.
Who is JT Marcinkowski?
Marcinkowski joins the Galaxy after making 96 appearances (95 starts) across all competitions in five seasons played with the San Jose Earthquakes. An Earthquakes Academy product, the California native signed a homegrown contract with San Jose in 2017.
His best season was 2021, which saw Marcinkowski post a career-high five shutouts and 129 saves in 33 matches played (all starts). He posted similar numbers in 2022, but by 2023, his numbers dropped, and he lost his spot in San Jose’s starting 11. He made only 13 starts but posted a very respectable 1.22 goals against average in limited minutes.
2024 brought more bad news. Marcinkowski tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during preseason. As a result, the 27-year-old shot-stopper missed the entire 2024 season due to injury.
Which is why this could be an important season for Marcinkowski. If he can perform at the level that earned him a call-up to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team at several age groups, he’ll be a valuable addition to a talented goalkeeper pool.
“We are excited to add JT to our LA Galaxy goalkeeping corps,” Kuntz said of the second of new LA Galaxy players. “JT has a wealth of experience in MLS, much of that coming from competing against the Galaxy in numerous Cali Clásico matchups during his time with the San Jose Earthquakes. He will provide valuable competition and depth at the goalkeeping position as we embark on this upcoming campaign.”
What Do the New LA Galaxy Players Bring to the Champions?
Neither signing was probably the marquee signature Galaxy fans were hoping for in light of departures and the current injury to Riqui Puig, but both new LA Galaxy players raise the overall quality of the roster.
Not only are they meant to improve the depth of the team, but in Marcinkowski’s case, could turn into a valuable asset for cap and roster flexibility in the future.
Marcinkowski will be expected to bring a challenge to the current goalkeeper pool, and should he be called into action, there won’t be a noticeable drop-off in quality at the position. In fact, Marcinkowski outperforms current Galaxy #1 John McCarthy in several key metrics like average pass length and pass completion when launched, according to Fbcharts.com.
More importantly, Marcinkowski is well ahead of McCarthy in crosses stopped, meaning a greater command of his penalty area.
Improvement in this area could mean the difference between a few goals conceded, and a few more points earned for a team that conceded most of its goals last year on corner kicks and set pieces.
Zanka’s progressive ball-playing abilities should work well in Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney’s possession-based system. His ability to bring an attacking element (34 goals, 14 assists across his career) to the backline is an added plus. His experience at the highest level should afford Captain Maya Yoshida some time off or cover in a fixture-congested season.
It remains to be seen how both will perform on the field, but on paper, both new LA Galaxy players should serve to reinforce Los Angeles for their title defense in 2025.