LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - Louisville native and Louisville City Football Club midfielder Elijah Wynder is joining the reigning champions of Major League Soccer, LouCity announced Sunday.
Louisville completed a transfer to send Wynder, whose younger brother Josh previously moved to Primeira Liga's SL Benfica in Portugal for an USL Championship record fee, to six-time MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy.
“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."
A source confirms to WDRB that the deal is for $400,000, making it the largest transfer fee to move a player from the USL to MLS, and includes a sell-on clause if Los Angeles moves Wynder elsewhere later. The Athletic's Tom Bogert first reported the transfer news while Transfermarkt's Manuel Veth also previously reported details.
"At the same time, Louisville is home, and Louisville City is an unbelievable place with fans, staff and teammates who I consider family," Wynder said. "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.”
The 2024 USL Championship Young Player of the Year started with LouCity's academy team at the age of 16, signing in 2019. A regular starter in 2024, the 21-year-old set career highs in appearances (33), minutes played (2,781), and goals (6).
He is the first player in club history to start with the academy and later earn a professional contract, which he signed in 2020. Wynder also bounced back from a major knee injury he suffered in 2021, returning in 2022 to score the game-winning goal in the Eastern Conference Final.
“I want to thank Elijah for everything he’s done for this club,” LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said. ”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.”
Since 2022, LouCity has sent seven players to either Europe or the MLS, which is the most of any USL Championship club. It started when former star defender Jonathan Gomez joined La Liga's Real Sociedad in Spain.
“Elijah Wynder’s record-setting transfer from Louisville City to the LA Galaxy is another landmark moment for the USL Championship,” USL head of global football development and sporting director Oliver Wyss said. “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."
In terms of the club's push to win its third USL Championship title in 2025, USL Championship Player of the Year finalist Taylor Davila headlines a returning group that also includes Niall McCabe and Carlos Moguel Jr. Louisville also recently signed former 901 Memphis FC standout Zach Duncan and acquired Kevon Lambert on loan from Real Salt Lake of MLS.
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