LOS ANGELES (Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022) – The LA Galaxy today announced that the club has acquired midfielder Douglas Costa via a six-month loan from Brazilian side Grêmio. After the conclusion of his loan, Costa, who will be added to the Galaxy’s roster as a Designated Player and will occupy an international roster slot, will be signed to a one-and-a-half-year contract through the end of the 2023 MLS regular season pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P1 Visa.
Costa, 31, joins LA with over 400 professional appearances and 21 trophies won in the top leagues of Brazil, Germany, Italy and Ukraine since making his professional debut in 2008 for Grêmio. During the 2021 Brazilian Série A campaign for Grêmio, while on loan from Italian Serie A side Juventus, Costa tallied three goals and two assists in 26 games played (20 starts).
“Douglas is a world-class player and a proven champion at the highest level. His capacity to create and finish will add yet another level to our attack,” said LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney. “We are excited to integrate him into the team as we push toward the start of the season.”
In his first stint with Grêmio (2008-09), Costa registered two goals and six assists in 30 appearances for the Brazilian club across all competitions. Costa later secured a move to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk (2009-15), where he tallied 38 goals and 40 assists in 203 games played (134 starts) in six seasons across all competitions. Notably, Costa helped Shakhtar claim five Ukrainian Premier League titles (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14), three Ukrainian Cups (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13) and three Ukrainian Super Cup titles (2010, 2012, 2013). Additionally, in 34 games played (24 starts) in the UEFA Champions League, Costa tallied six goals and seven assists, helping Shakhtar Donetsk reach the quarterfinals of the tournament in 2010.
The Brazilian international was transferred in the summer of 2015 to German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, where he spent two seasons (2015-17) and tallied eight goals and 13 assists in 50 league appearances (37 starts). In UEFA Champions League play with Bayern, Costa played in 20 matches (15 starts) and added four goals and five assists. During his first of two stints with Bayern, Costa helped the Bavarian club claim two Bundesliga league titles (2015-16, 2016-17) and the DFB-Pokal (2015-16), Germany’s domestic cup competition.
After securing a loan move to Juventus in the summer of 2017 from Bayern Munich, Costa had a standout season in which he registered six goals and seven assists in 46 games played (31 starts) across all competitions during the 2017-18 campaign, helping Juventus win the Serie A league title and the Coppa Italia. After Juventus made Costa’s loan move permanent from Bayern Munich, the native of Sapucaia do Sul, Brazil, helped the Bianconeri win the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana and two more Serie A titles (2018-19, 2019-20). Across all competitions during his time at Juventus (2017-20), Costa registered 21 assists and 10 goals in 103 games played.
“Douglas is an exceptional talent who has played at some of the biggest clubs in the world,” said LA Galaxy Technical Director Jovan Kirovski. “He is a big addition to our team, and we believe he will be a difference-maker in MLS.”
Costa returned on loan to Bayern Munich in October of 2020 and helped the Bavarian club claim the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup. That season, Costa tallied one goal and one assist in 11 appearances (3 starts) in league play for Bayern, helping his side win the 2020-21 Bundesliga title. In three seasons in Munich across all competitions (2015-17, 2020-21), the midfielder notched 15 goals and 30 assists in 97 games played.
At the international level, Costa has tallied three goals and six assists in 31 appearances (13 starts) for the Brazilian Men’s National Team since making his debut in 2014. After being named to the Brazilian roster for Copa América 2015, Costa made three substitute appearances, including tallying the game-winning goal in stoppage time in a 2-1 win over Peru in group-stage play on June 14, 2015. In 2018 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying, Costa registered two goals and four assists in eight games played (5 starts) for Brazil. Notably, Costa made two appearances off the bench for the Seleção during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, tallying an assist in Brazil’s 2-0 win over Costa Rica on June 22, 2018.
Transaction: LA Galaxy acquire midfielder Douglas Costa on a six-month loan from Grêmio as a Designated Player. Following the conclusion of his loan, Costa will be signed to a one-and-a-half-year contract through the end of the 2023 MLS regular season on Feb. 10, 2022.
Douglas Costa
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Weight: 155
Date Of Birth: Sept. 14, 1990
Age: 31
Birthplace: Sapucaia do Sul, Brazil
Last Club: Grêmio
Citizenship: Brazil
Acquired: Acquired on six-month loan from Grêmio as a Designated Player. Following the conclusion of the loan, Costa will be signed to a one-and-a-half-year contract through the end of the 2023 MLS regular season on Feb. 10, 2022.
