Cruz Azul salvages deal for Doria, Aguirre; Chivas in pursuit of Luis Chávez

They say a watched pot never boils. Unless that pot is placed on the Liga MX Hot Stove.

Soccer fans in Mexico have watched pot after pot boil over during the early offseason activity that might accurately be termed “frantic.”

Big deals and little deals, there are aplenty, and the rumors inspired by the very attractive managerial opening at América has the lid rattling noisily.

Futbol de estufa continues to captivate Liga MX fans and pundits alike.

Cruz Azul rescues deal with Santos Laguna

Just a few days after “La Máquina Azul” had reportedly bungled the acquisition of defender Matheus Doria and young forward Eduardo “El Mudo” Aguirre (an Olympic bronze medalist), an agreement was forged.

Coach “Tuca” Ferretti now has two new central defenders (Carlos Salcedo was signed earlier) among the six new faces already acquired by the Cementeros.

It’s possible Cruz Azul is not done shifting pieces around just yet.

For its part, Santos Laguna is looking to bring back Carlos Izquierdoz to replace Doria. Izquierdoz won two Liga MX titles with the Guerreros (Clausura 2015, Clausura 2018) before going home to play for Boca Juniors. This past year, the 34-year-old defender played in Spain’s second division with Sporting Gijón.

Elsewhere across Liga MX …

The splashy headline Wednesday was the Chivas’ eager pursuit of midfielder Luis Chávez. Guadalajara is said to be offering $6 million for the 27-year-old Jalisco native.

The Pachuca stalwart was arguably Mexico’s best player at the World Cup and he helped the Tuzos win the Apertura 2022 title before starring in Qatar. Chávez and his mates struggled at times this season, but he is expected to be a mainstay for El Tri this summer.

We also found out that long-time Pachuca defender Oscar Murillo (winner of two Liga MX titles with the Tuzos) will not remain with the team.

Up north, new Monterrey coach Fernando Ortiz is fiddling with his locker room.

Despite earning the top seed heading into the Liga MX playoffs, the Rayados crashed and burned in the semifinals and an aging roster needs to be rejuvenated.

Thus far, youth has not been added, but there has been some moves a-simmering.

Captain Celso Ortiz, a 34-year-old defensive midfielder, signed an extension and oft-injured winger Duvan Vergara, 26, was loaned out to Santos Laguna.

Whispers around the Liga MX Hot Stove suggest Ortiz is tryin to woo Toluca playmaker Leo Fernández to the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. The 24-year-old would add flair to a midfield that ran out of ideas down the stretch and during the playoffs.

Other moves being cooked up include:

Former Cruz Azul defender Julio César Domínguez is on the verge of signing with Atlético de San Luis where he would join former América winger Juergen Damm.

Well-traveled Brayan Angulo, 33, is returning to Puebla after spending a year with Toluca, helping the Diablos Rojos reach the Apertura 2022 Final. The Colombian fullback arrived to Liga MX in 2016, spending a year with Jaguares de Chiapas before playing three years in Puebla, then toiling for a year in Tijuana before moving to “El Infierno.” 

Prior to arriving in Mexico, Angulo played in Portugal (Boavista and Leixoes), Spain (Deportivo la Coruña, Rayo Vallecano and Granada) and Bulgaria (Ludogorets Razgrad).

Two teams in need of a defensive midfielder have approached América to ask about the availability of Pedro Aquino. Toluca and Santos Laguna are interested in the services of the 28-year-old Peru international.

Speaking of Peru and América, Ricardo Gareca is suddenly on the Aguilas’ radar.

Gareca led Peru to the 2018 World Cup then guided “Los Incas” to the final of the 2019 Copa América and was on the cusp of a second straight World Cup appearance only to lose to Australia in an inter-confederation playoff.

The 65-year-old Argentine was fired by Velez Sarsfeld on Monday and, upon hearing that América was toying with the idea of interviewing him, Gareca said he’d love to coach in Mexico.