ALABAMA - After a one month break, Liga MX is back next week with the start of the Clausura 2024 tournament. With teams finalizing their squads ahead of the start of the season, we take a look at some of the most important winter transfers in Liga MX for all 18 teams. Cruz Azul is the team that has been the busiest of them all, adding six new players to their Clausura 2024 squad.
Querétaro and Toluca will be the teams in charge of kicking things off on Friday, Jan. 12. Reigning champs Club América will open the Clausura 2024 on the road with an away game against Xolos de Tijuana and former América coach Miguel Herrera.
Here's a look at the main Liga MX transfers of the Winter season.
Club América
In: Cristian Calderón (from Chivas)
Calderón will be the first player to move directly from Chivas to archrivals América since 2019, when Oribe Peralta left the 'Azulcremas' for Guadalajara. Calderón's move to Mexico City comes as a free agent after Chivas did not extend the fullback's contract.
¡Bienvenido al campeón, Cristian! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/4giIxxHsOy
— Club América (@ClubAmerica) January 3, 2024
Chivas de Guadalajara
In: José Castillo (Pachuca), Ángel Zaldívar (returns from loan), Jesús Godínez (returns from loan), Santiago Ormeño (returns from loan)
Out: Cristian Calderón (América), Zahid Muñoz (FC Juárez), Hiram Mier (ended contract)
Cruz Azul
In: Gabriel Fernández (Pumas), Gonzalo Piovi (Racing Club), Camilo Cándido (Nacional), Lorenzo Faravelli (Independiente del Valle), Luis Jiménez (loan from Necaxa)
Out: Moisés (Fortaleza), Sebastián Jurado (out on loan to FC Juárez), Diber Cambindo (out on loan to Necaxa)
After appointing Diego Alonso as Director of Soccer, Cruz Azul was busy during the winter break, finalizing key deals for the squad, including Gabriel Fernández' transfer from Pumas. The Uruguayan striker scored a total of 7 goals in the Apertura 2023, including two Liguilla goals. Fernández' signing became the third-most expensive in the history of the club, only surpassed by Jonathan Rodríguez move from Santos in 2018 ($12.4m) and Orbelín Pineda ($11.5m)
Conoce un poco más a Gabriel “Toro” Fernández ⬇️💙https://t.co/BXy7b7iFqJ
— CRUZ AZUL (@CruzAzul) December 28, 2023
Pumas UNAM
In: Piero Quispe (Universitario), Guillermo Martínez (Puebla)
Out: Gabriel Fernández (Cruz Azul)
According to Transfermarkt values, Gabriel Fernández' move to Cruz Azul is now the record transfer received by Pumas in club history. The almost $10 million paid by "La Máquina" surpasses the $8.6m paid by Benfica to buy Nicolás Castillo back in 2018.
Primer refuerzo ✅
— PUMAS (@PumasMX) December 29, 2023
¡Bienvenido a la U de México, Piero Quispe! 🐾🔥
Nuestro Presidente Raúl González, el Vicepresidente Deportivo, Miguel Mejía Barón y Goyo, reciben a Piero en sus primeros días en Pumas. #DePumasSoy #DeCanteraSomos pic.twitter.com/yk5tc6UHO6
Tigres UANL
In: Juan Brunetta (Santos Laguna), Juan José Purata (returns from loan)
Out: Raymundo Fulgencio (Atlas)
After losing the Apertura 2023 final to Club América, Tigres tried to find a way to bounce back and improve the squad with the acquisition of Santos Laguna's Juan Brunetta. The electric Argentine was one of the best players in Mexico last year, finishing with 10 goals. He was the only player during the Apertura 2023 to score 10+ times with no penalty goals. Brunetta also finished last tournament as the league's leader in assists (11).
💣🇦🇷 El líder en asistencias de la Liga MX llega a Nuevo León para realizar exámenes médicos y finalizar su contratación con La U. ¡Bienvenido a Club Tigres, Juan Brunetta! 😎#PerfilTigre 🐯 pic.twitter.com/6B44QouHpx
— Club Tigres 🐯 (@TigresOficial) December 27, 2023
CF Monterrey
In: Omar Govea (returns from loan)
Out: Jonathan González (out of contract)
Rest of the league:
Atlas
In: Raymundo Fulgencio (Tigres)
Out: Aníbal Chalá (Barcelona SC)
Atlético San Luis
In: Mateo Klimowicz (Stuttgart), José González (Tapatío), Óscar Macías (Tapatío), Jonantán Villal (Atlanta United 2), Aldo Cruz (FC Juárez), Pablo Martínez (out on loan from Botafogo-SP)
Out: Dieter Villalpando (FC Juárez), Fernando León (Emelec), Ángel Zaldívar (end of loan)
FC Juárez
In: Dieter Villalpando (Atlético San Luis), Benny Díaz (out on loan from Tijuana), Sebastián Jurado (out on loan from Cruz Azul), Zahid Muñoz (out on loan from Chivas)
Out: Aldo Cruz (Atlético San Luis), Luis Rodríguez (out of contract), Mario Osuna (out of contract), Santiago Ormeño (end of loan)
León
In: Alan Medina (Liverpool (URU))
Out: Nicolás Sosa (Racing Club), Byron Castillo (Peñarol)
Mazatlán
In: Yostin Valadéz (free agent), Brian Rubio (returns from loan), Miguel Sansores (returns from loan)
Out: Francisco Venegas (Querétaro), Néstor Vidrio (out of contract), Aké Loba (end of loan), Facundo Almada (end of loan)
Necaxa
In: Diber Cambindo (out on loan from Cruz Azul)
Out: Facundo Batista (Querétaro), Misael Domínguez (Querétaro)
Pachuca
In: Nelson Deossa (Atlético Huila), Andrés Micolta (CD El Nacional), Salomón Rondón (River Plate)
Out: Marino Hinestroza (Columbus Crew), Antonio Figueroa (Toluca), José Castillo (Chivas)
Puebla
In: Fernando Navarro (Toluca)
Out: Guillermo Martínez (Pumas), Miguel Sansores (end of loan)
Querétaro
In: Francisco Venegas (Mazatlán), Brayton Vázquez (Dorados), Facundo Batista (out on loan from Necaxa), Misael Domínguez (out on loan from Necaxa)
Out: Clifford Aboagye (out of contract)
Santos Laguna
In: Santiago Núñez (Estudiantes LP), Franco Fagúndez (Nacional)
Out: Juan Brunetta (Tigres)
Club Tijuana
In: None
Out: David Barbona (Defensa y Justicia), Benny Díaz (FC Juárez)
Toluca
In: Federico Pereira (Liverpool (URU)), Antonio Figueroa (Pachuca)
Out: Gustavo Gutiérrez (Cancún FC)
© 2023 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
