After that, it's a long list John Thorrington and the Black & Gold front office need to sort through:
The Bouanga development is probably the most pressing after his sensational 2023 season, where he equaled the MLS calendar-year goals record (38) across all competitions. He was a one-man wrecking ball on the counter-attack and a matchup nightmare for just about any MLS defender. Bouanga's still under contract, so will there be a resolution – either a big-money move abroad or a lucrative pay bump/extension – in the days ahead? LAFC, surely, would like to keep Bouanga given his importance to Steve Cherundolo's squad.
Then there's the Vela situation, which has precious few (if any) developments. LAFC's captain and inaugural signing is unquestionably a club legend, but he's not quite producing at a Designated Player level anymore. Whether the Vela era continues or we have seen its final chapter, we truly don't know. But it's a massive storyline as an MLS standard-bearer club looks to reload.
When the offseason dust settles, LAFC could bid farewell to as many as six starters from their MLS Cup 2023 runner-up starting XI. That's a lot of change!
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