CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy made a notable move on Thursday by trading Gastón Brugman, the MVP of the MLS Cup Final, to Nashville SC. This transition comes only 12 days after Brugman played a pivotal role in leading the Galaxy to their sixth MLS championship title.

In the deal, the Galaxy also secured midfielder Sean Davis from Nashville, with the latter set to retain a portion of Davis’ salary budget for the upcoming year.

Brugman earned the MVP title during the championship match for his outstanding performance, stepping up in the absence of star midfielder Riqui Puig. He played a crucial role in the Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on December 7, providing an exceptional long pass that set up the team’s first goal by Joseph Paintsil.

Despite his heroic contribution in the finals, Brugman’s overall presence on the team had seen a decline earlier in the season under coach Greg Vanney. Starting the year in a key midfield position, he was primarily used as a substitute for much of the latter half of the season.

Throughout last season, the 32-year-old Brugman recorded no goals and contributed five assists in what marked his third year with the Galaxy. He has played 71 matches for the club, scoring six goals and making 10 assists, but his tenure has been marred by ongoing injury issues.

Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz acknowledged the challenges teams face in maintaining a competitive roster in Major League Soccer. In his statement, he praised Brugman as a fierce competitor and an outstanding teammate, highlighting his significant impact both on the pitch and in the locker room. He emphasized that Brugman’s performance in the recent MLS Cup Final would be especially remembered.

On the flip side, Sean Davis has an impressive track record with five goals and 27 assists in a total of 263 career MLS matches, having played for both the Red Bulls and Nashville SC. Last season, he managed to contribute one assist across 25 games.

As part of the trade, Nashville could potentially receive $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Galaxy, contingent on Davis meeting specific performance criteria.