Rayan Raveloson is fourth French player to sign with Galaxy in two months
The Galaxy’s French shopping spree continued with the team landing versatile midfielder Rayan Raveloson from Troyes, which is moving up from Ligue 2 to the first division next season.
An official announcement was expected Thursday morning.
Raveloson, 24, whose contract with Troyes expires next month, will join the team on a free transfer. He signed a three-year deal with the Galaxy that includes a fourth-year club option and is the fourth French player to join the MLS club in the last two months, following wingers Samuel Grandsir and Kévin Cabral and defender Séga Coulibaly.
“The French market is one of the hottest,” said Jovan Kirovski, the Galaxy’s technical director. “Some of the best talent in world soccer is developed in France nowadays. Germany, England, Italy, they’re looking at the French market because it’s such a good market and there’s so much talent.”
Playing far away from home on MLS and other U.S.-based teams can be a stressful experience for overseas soccer players not used to American culture.
And because of the financial damage French soccer has sustained from COVID-19, it’s a buyers’ market as well.
“It’s affected the world market and particularly the middle clubs all over Europe,” Kirovski said. “We’re able to spend what they can’t and we’re getting value. We’re getting players that wouldn’t be available.
“We’re aggressive and going and recruiting.”
Raveloson, 24, was born in Madagascar and raised on the island of Réunion, an overseas department and region of the French republic in the Indian Ocean. He made his professional debut with Tours of the second division in 2014, then moved to Troyes three seasons ago. He played a career-high 35 matches this season, helping the team win promotion to Ligue 1. Raveloson, who made 150 appearances in seven seasons in Ligue 2, also has 11 caps with Madagascar’s national team.
Raveloson played his last eight games with Troyes as a defender, going 90 minutes in the final match of the season last Saturday against Le Havre. He is expected to play as a defensive midfielder with the Galaxy, freeing captain Jonathan dos Santos to take a box-to-box role.
Of the other French additions, Grandsir has started five times for the Galaxy (4-1-0) this season while Cabral made his MLS debut in last week’s win over Austin FC and could make his first start Saturday in Portland. Coulibaly is still in Europe awaiting his visa and immigration paperwork.
