LA Galaxy splash the cash! MLS side that once fielded David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to sign Genk phenom Joseph Paintsil for $9m

According to The Athletic, Paintsil touched down in Los Angeles Friday morning and is set to secure a deal with the MLS side. The Belgian club and the Galaxy have agreed a fee of around $9m (£7m) and the Ghana international will sign a multi-year deal.

Paintsil will be one of the biggest signings in Galaxy history, and he has big footsteps to follow in, too. The likes of David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan have all crafted their trade at the club - and with a price like $9m, there are expectations on the table.

He has six goals and four assists in the Belgian Pro League in 2023, but scored 17 times and set up 11 in 2022-23 for the club. The Galaxy will hope they can get a similar, if not better, return in MLS now.

Paintsil has been capped by Ghana 15 times, but has failed to score in a single appearance for the Black Stars.

Los Angeles opens up their 2024 MLS campaign in nine days against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Their goal has to be to get Paintsil integrated quickly, so that he can play in their February 25 clash.