Glesnes and academy prospect Jamir Johnson’s rights transferred to LA Galaxy

A Best XI defender and promising youth prospect have been transferred from the Philadelphia Union organization to the LA Galaxy in a deal that could bring in as much as $2.2 million in general allocation money.

Glesnes, 31, was previously reported to be going to LA but the inclusion of Jamir Johnson’s MLS rights in the deal came as a bit of a surprise with the announcement Monday evening. Glesnes, who was named the MLS Defender of the Year and Best XI in 2022 and Best XI in 2025, said goodbye to fans on social media earlier in the day Monday.

“Jakob has been an integral part of our defensive unit and the success they have had during his time with the club,” said Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell. “Since joining the Union, he has played a major role in the team’s success, and we remain grateful for his leadership on and off the field. This move provides significant financial opportunities to continue to invest and strengthen our roster while reinforcing our competitive strategy. This also allows Jakob to continue competing at a high level in MLS where we’re confident he’ll continue to be successful. We wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

The club will receive $500,000 in 2026 GAM and $600,000 in 2027 GAM. The Union may acquire up to an additional $1,100,000 in GAM if certain performances metrics are met by Glesnes and Johnson and will receive a future trade and sell-on percentage of Johnson.

Johnson, a pacy 17-year-old winger, made his professional debut with Philadelphia Union II in 2024 and had a pair of goals and an assist in 12 appearances in MLS Next Pro in 2025. He’s logged 21 appearances and 2 starts over two seasons in Next Pro. He’s also received call-ups to U.S. Youth National Teams camps and was part of the U.S. team at the recent U-17 World Cup.