Louisville City FC and LA Galaxy have agreed to a paid transfer sending midfielder Elijah Wynder to the reigning Major League Soccer champions, it was announced Sunday.
The deal fetched the largest fee in USL Championship history for a player going to the MLS ranks. It also added to the Wynder family legacy. Elijah’s younger brother and former LouCity teammate Josh Wynder commanded seven figures — the highest fee in USL Championship history — when making his summer 2023 transfer to Portuguese power S.L. Benfica.
“This move is something I’m very excited about,” Elijah Wynder said. “It’s what I’ve been working toward my whole career, so I can’t wait to get started. At the same time, Louisville is home, and Louisville City is an unbelievable place with fans, staff and teammates who I consider family. It won’t be easy to leave all of this. However, I’ve been blessed with an opportunity that I can’t pass up. I just want to thank God for giving me this chance and everyone who has helped me along the way.”
By joining the Galaxy, Wynder will continue a swift career ascent after making his senior team LouCity debut in 2019 at age 16. He went on to become the first youth academy player in club history to sign a professional contract in 2020 and last season, at 21 years old, concluded his City tenure by earning the USL Championship’s Young Player of the Year award.
Wynder hit the transfer radar in 2024 while tallying career highs in appearances (33), minutes played (2,781), and goals scored (6). He started nearly every game as the boys in purple raised their first Players’ Shield, awarded for a USL Championship regular season title.
“I want to thank Elijah for everything he’s done for this club,” said LouCity coach Danny Cruz.” I’ve been fortunate to work with Elijah since he was 16 years old, and I am incredibly proud of the player and young man he has become. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a player of his caliber, but I hope this serves as more evidence that when you’re performing at a high level for Louisville City, big clubs are watching. We’re wishing Elijah nothing but the best. The sky is the limit for him, and wherever his career leads, he’ll carry with him the roots of a strong Louisville City support system.”
Wynder has excelled since rebounding from a severe leg injury suffered in 2021 just days before training was to open for his first professional season. Following a lengthy rehabilitation, Wynder returned to write more club history when scoring LouCity’s winning goal in the 2022 Eastern Conference Final.
Wynder represented City for parts of six seasons going back to May 16, 2019, when as a USL Academy signing, he made his senior team debut as a substitute during an early round U.S. Open Cup victory. His USL Championship debut followed in the next year before Wynder officially completed his path to pro soccer, signing a contract in December of 2020.
Now, it’s off to the Galaxy, who won their record sixth MLS Cup last season and have seen legends of the game such as David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Zlatan Ibrahimović represent the iconic club.
“We are excited for Elijah and the entire Wynder family. It is truly a very special time for all of them,” said LouCity’s president, James O’Connor. “As an organization, we also take immense pride in developing local talent and providing opportunities for them. Seeing another academy graduate move on to the next level is gratifying for the club and our whole community. Elijah leaves with our very best wishes, and we look forwarding to seeing him achieve great things with the Galaxy.”
Wynder joins a growing list of players LouCity transferred in recent years, all while continuing to uphold the club’s trophy-winning expectations. He’s City’s seventh outgoing player to Europe or MLS — most in the USL Championship — since Jonathan Gomez moved to Spain’s Real Sociedad in January of 2022.
“Elijah Wynder’s record-setting transfer from Louisville City to the LA Galaxy is another landmark moment for the USL Championship,” said Oliver Wyss, the USL’s head of global football development & sporting director. “Elijah’s progression from being LouCity’s first professional signing from its academy program to the 2024 USL Championship Young Player of the Year is a clear illustration of the talent that exists within the USL’s professional and academy ecosystem.
“Louisville City’s investment in its academy program has been a driver in the club’s first team success. The club has also become an astute participant in the transfer market, commanding market price for the top-quality talent it has moved onto higher levels both domestically and overseas.”
