Tijuana Xolos: Chavez, Valenzuela depart club, Lucero comes back from loan spell
Credit: Xolos
The Tijuana Xolos preseason is well underway as the Aztec Canines get ready for the Liga MX 2019 Apertura season. The Xoloitzcuintles have been very active in the current transfer window and have already signed four players ahead of the new season.
Inevitable departures come with the signings, and Club Tijuana’s first two departures were recently made official. Pachuca announced the signing of Luis Chavez this past Thursday, June 13, as the Mexican midfielder’s seven-year stint with the Xoloitzcuintles came to a close.
The 23-year-old began his youth career with Pachuca but blossomed to become the player he is today with the Border City Dogs. Chavez was a very talented player but had received limited playing time in the past two seasons, only starting two games in the 2019 Clausura season and just seven in the 2018 Apertura tournament.
The other departure that was announced was that of veteran centre-back Juan Carlos Valenzuela as the Xolos decided not to renew his contract. The 35-year-old defender had been with the Xoloitzcuintles since the 2016 Clausura tournament and had played in 84 league games with the border city side.
Valenzuela showed his age in the 2019 Clausura as he only participated in nine league games last season and just started one match. The Xolos have already brought in young centre-back Jordan Silva as an alternate option off the bench to replace Valenzuela in his role with the team.
The Xolos also had a recent addition as Juan Martin Lucero rejoined the team after his loan spell with Argentine team Godoy Cruz. The Argentinian striker has struggled heavily in recent seasons with Club Tijuana, and it is unclear if he will join another team soon.
¡LUIS GERARDO CHÁVEZ ES EL TERCER REFUERZO DE LOS TUZOS!
El joven mediocampista mexicano llega al Club Pachuca, proveniente de @Xolos; y se convierte en el tercer refuerzo Tuzo para el #Apertura2019#TeJuroQueTeAmo #ElÚnicoEnMi💙 pic.twitter.com/CgzXvv48Fl
— Club Pachuca (@Tuzos) June 13, 2019
Lucero scored no goals in two games last season and just scored one goal in 15 games the season before that. The South American forward was even booed off the pitch by fans on several occasions, and it seems unlikely that he stick around for too long.
The Xolos business in the transfer window seems far from over, especially in terms of players departing the club as the team begins its preseason in Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
Francisco, 26, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego Loyal, San Diego Wave.