MLS regular season leader LAFC is set to bring in Ecuadorian left-back Diego Palacios, who had initially drawn interest from La Liga side Barcelona, according to ESPN FC sources.
Palacios shone for Ecuador in the Under-20 World Cup in the team's run to the semifinal and impressed Barcelona scouts last season at Willem II in the Netherlands, where he was on loan from Ecuadorian parent club Aucas.
The 20-year-old Palacios would have been part of the Barcelona 'B' squad this upcoming season, but it appears that LAFC came into the race late for the Guayaquil native with the chance at senior football, according to sources.
The MLS summer transfer window officially closed on Wednesday but Spanish outlet Sport reported that Palacios signed a four-year contract and will travel to Los Angeles on Monday, depending on a visa.
LAFC signed 19-year-old Uruguayan forward Brian Rodriguez to a Designated Player contract on Wednesday.
ESPN FC's Moises Llorens, Tom Marshall, and Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.