Top 5 Liga MX transfers in Clausura 2020

Cruz Azul, Chivas happy to have prodigal sons back home

As a teenager, Luis Romo was rejected by the Cruz Azul academy, eventually hooking up with Querétaro. Romo made the Gallos Blancos Under-17 team in 2012 and quickly started climbing the ladder toward the senior club. He debuted in Liga MX in July 2018 and established himself as a quality central defender.

When Víctor Manuel Vucetich took over as coach, he took a special interest in his budding star and, in the Apertura 2019, Romo was moved into a holding defender position and named captain.

The Gallos Blancos’ skipper thrived in a more forward position and his stellar play earned a call from national team coach Gerardo Martino. Romo moved back to defense when injuries decimated Querétaro’s backline, but his performances made him a transfer target.

Cruz Azul came calling over the winter, but some pundits thought he might hold a grudge against the Cementeros. Instead, he was thrilled to join “La Máquina” and coach Robert Siboldi inserted him in midfield where he demonstrated poise and leadership.

Then injuries struck the backline and Romo was asked to move. His versatility and experience made for a smooth transition and Cruz Azul now sit atop the table in large part because Romo leads a strong defense that can smoothly play out from the back and get the offense going. The Cementeros is a genuine title threat.

When J.J. Macías was loaned out by Guadalajara ahead of the Clausura 2019, there were whispers of locker-room rifts. The teen striker had soared up the ladder to earn a spot with the senior club at the age of 17, but coach José Cardozo was unwilling to let him learn on the job.

Macías arrived in León in January 2019 and took the league by storm. The Esmeraldas earned the top seed in the Clausura 2019 with a free-flowing offense and Macías scored 18 goals across two seasons last year.

New general manager Ricardo Peláez made Macías a priority over the winter and he convinced the lissome striker to return to the Chivas. Guadalajara got off to a rough start in the Clausura 2020 and Macías missed three games to injury. But the kid scored in each of his first three games back in the line-up and the Chivas won all three.

Guadalajara is back in playoff contention and can be a serious threat if Macías stays healthy.