NASHVILLE, TN - Nashville SC have acquired winger Jonathan Pérez permanently from the LA Galaxy in a cash trade, the first in Nashville history. Pérez will fill a U22 Initiative roster slot through the 2028 season, with a club option for 2029.
Nashville send $1.5 million to the Galaxy in exchange for Pérez, with a potential $300,000 in add-ons. The potential fee of $1.8 million makes Pérez the seventh-highest transfer fee in Nashville SC history. Pérez's new contract also makes him one of three U22 Initiative players on the roster (along with Ahmed Qasem and Patrick Yazbek).
“Jonny has met and, in some cases, exceeded our expectations while here on loan, and we are so excited to be able to make him a permanent member of Nashville Soccer Club,” said Nashville SC President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Mike Jacobs in a statement.. “He’s a dynamic attacking player with bags of potential, and we know he will continue to play an important role in the present and future of our club.”
Nashville initially brought Pérez in on loan last summer from the LA Galaxy with an option to make the move permanent. Sources have indicated to SixOneFive Soccer that the option was for approximately $1 million, resources that Nashville currently do not have. Using the newly-introduced cash trade option allows Nashville to acquire Pérez without using allocation money, and they're able to sign him to a U22 Initiative contract before he would age out in mid-January.
Ben Wright
The U22 Initiative rule allows clubs to sign players 22 and younger at a maximum budget charge of $200,000, regardless of their acquisition costs (transfer fee) and actual salary. Under this rule, Pérez can occupy a U22 slot until the year he turns 25.
Since joining Nashville last summer, Pérez has appeared in 30 matches in all competitions. In 2025, he's earned a starting spot as one of Nashville's more advanced midfielders, and been one of the bright spots in the attack.
With two goals and three assists in all competitions, and plenty of growth already under head coach BJ Callaghan and a Mexico and United States youth national team pedigree, Pérez has an incredibly high ceiling.
