MLS expansion side San Diego FC has signed midfielder Luca De La Torre, per a club announcement on Tuesday. The 26-year-old USMNT midfielder joins from Celta Vigo on an initial loan lasting through the 2025 MLS season. San Diego also announced that it has a purchase option that could keep him at home beyond this season.
De La Torre was born and raised in San Diego, ultimately leaving in 2013 to join Fulham’s academy. He remained at the London club until he was 22, having only played seven times for the Cottagers in league play while failing to be sent on a single loan. He took a chance and signed with Dutch club Heracles Almelo, ultimately turning two seasons of steady play into a 2022 move to Celta Vigo, where he became an instant starter in La Liga for two seasons.
His play with Heracles led to increased involvement in Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT. De La Torre became the trusted alternative whenever advanced midfielders Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah were absent or required rotation, landing him a spot on the squad for the 2022 World Cup. De La Torre has 24 caps with the USMNT to date, although an ankle injury has kept him from being selected for either of Mauricio Pochettino’s first two camps.
De La Torre has seen his involvement with the Spanish club plummet following the Copa América. After amassing nearly 3,500 league minutes in his first two seasons, the midfielder has logged just four minutes in the current campaign. Injuries to his thigh and his ankle are largely to blame for his inactivity, with other players having stepped up capably in his absence and retaining their places in first-year manager Claudio Giráldez’s teamsheet.
At his best, De La Torre helped Celta Vigo circulate in possession. He was also looked upon to play long passes toward the flank, predominating to his left. That projects to be a useful trick with San Diego, as their attack is spearheaded by Mexico international Hirving Lozano on the left wing.
Assuming he’s able to reach optimal fitness in time for the team’s regular season debut on Feb. 25, De La Torre projects to be a vital facilitator for San Diego FC. He’ll reunite with former Berhalter assistant Mikey Varas, who is in his first club head coaching role with the MLS newcomers. San Diego’s squad had been relatively thin in midfield before today’s news, although they reportedly remain interested in signing Kevin De Bruyne as his contract with Manchester City is set to expire this summer.
Consistent starts and impactful play should keep De La Torre in contention to work into Pochettino’s plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In the meantime, he’ll be a native son of whom San Diego can take immediate pride in their debut. Only time will tell, but he could become the club’s Alejandro Bedoya: a proven box-to-box USMNT midfielder who can be a vital centerpiece for many years to come.
(Photo: Angel Martinez / Getty Images)
