The LA Galaxy are close to signing goalkeeper Jonathan Bond from West Bromwich Albion on a two-year deal.
CARSON, Calif. — Jonathan Bond is on the verge of becoming the LA Galaxy’s next goalkeeper. The 27-year-old English and Welsh youth international has been playing with West Bromwich Albion, of the English Premier League, since 2018.
CoG can confirm that the reports surrounding Bond are true but that nothing has been signed as of Friday afternoon. But all signs point to his announcement sometime next week.
Bond has a transfer history that shows him with time at Peterborough United and Gillingham when off on loan from Reading, and time spent at Watford but loaned out to Brakcley town, Forest Green Rovers, Dagenham & Redbridge, and Bury. But in the current season (2020/2021) he’s made just two appearances with West Brom.
In his early years he made appearances with both the Welsh U17 and U19 sides as well as the English U20 and U21 sides. He changed his International Allegiance from Wales to England in 2013.
His busiest year in net came in the 2017/2018 season when he was with Reading on Loan to Peterborough when he made 37 appearances before moving to West Brom the next season.
Highlights show the six-foot-five to be quick with his movement and decisive in his saves – but highlight videos usually only show you the best out of someone.
It seems likely that Bond would be brought in to compete for a starting spot but would be the first, and currently only, MLS caliber goalkeeper on the roster in 2021. Neither David Bingham (out of contract) nor Jonathan Klinsmann (option declined) are currently on the roster for the Galaxy and the remaining goalkeepers — Eric Lopez and Justin Vom Steeg have zero MLS minutes to their names.
Bond also holds a US Passport — according to reports — which provides some hope that he would be deemed a domestic player instead of taking up one of the Galaxy’s eight international slots. But his exact status is unknown at this time.
Anecdotally, West Brom fans have said that he deserved more playing time and was always a good goalkeeper when he did play. But with West Brom sitting in 19th out of 20 EPL teams, the Baggies are looking at relegation. And with the ship sinking fast, perhaps offloading Bond was the perfect way to prepare for the drop to the Championship.
Reports indicate it as a two-year deal for a permanent transfer. No transfer fee or contract particulars have been released.
From January of 2020, we wanted to get you something. But he doesn’t do much in the game. Enjoy the highlights anyway.