UPDATE, Jan 5: Ole, a sports newspaper in Argentina, has reported that Cristian Pavon is still not training with Boca Juniors upon his return to the Primera Division club. He awaits COVID-19 test results before joining the side, but was also not selected for their upcoming Copa Libertadores semifinal against Brazil's Santos. While Boca are reportedly upset with Pavon, he's expected to report to training no later than Thursday.
UPDATE, Dec. 31: The Los Angeles Times reports that negotiations between the Galaxy and Boca Juniors will continue after January 1, the day Cristian Pavon's loan deal expires. Per the report, Pavon would like to stay with the Galaxy.
UPDATE, Dec. 28: MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert reports that discussions are still ongoing between the Galaxy and Boca Juniors regarding the status of Cristian Pavon. If the sides can't come to an agreement on a new number for Pavon's purchase option following the expiration of his loan, he would have to report back to Boca by January 1.
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
Cristian Pavon will be returning to Argentine club Boca Juniors after the LA Galaxy were unable to reach an agreement to keep the star midfielder stateside, according to reports out of Argentina.
Pavon's future with the club had been the subject of speculation throughout the offseason, as his loan expired and the Galaxy would have reportedly had to pay a $20 million buyout fee attached to his loan deal to guarantee his return, a sum that they were unwilling to pay. The sides reportedly didn't come to an agreement on a lower number, meaning Pavon must now report back to Boca by January 1.
Pavon has been a standout contributor for the Galaxy since arriving from Boca in 2019, putting up three goals and eight assists in his debut MLS campaign and helping the Galaxy to a playoff berth alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The club had a difficult 2020 season, but those struggles couldn't be attributed to Pavon, who had another brilliant individual campaign, starting all 22 of his appearances and putting up 10 goals and seven assists across 1,980 minutes.
His departure would leave a big void in the Galaxy's attack and immediately put finding a player who can replace his production at the top of the priority list for the front office.
