Football
Tom MarshallEric Gomez 7y

Talking Points: Realistic arrivals in Liga MX during this transfer window

Liga MX's transfer window is still running and, while most of the notable moves have involved players leaving, there's still time for Mexico's top clubs to improve.

If you could pick one realistic signing between now and the close, who would it be? ESPN FC's Liga MX writers have their say.

Miguel Layun

Things aren't going so well for the full-back at Porto. The 29-year-old missed his side's season opener with flu and played just six minutes of the second game.

While many Mexico fans may not be very happy to have watched both Jonathan dos Santos and Carlos Vela signing deals taking them into Major League Soccer, the news was also a blow to Liga MX. If two Mexico internationals were available, Liga MX clubs should have been pushing hard. Tentatively, it highlights the pull MLS has for Mexico internationals and the difficulties Liga MX has in competing in the same market.

It's with that in mind that Layun's name deserves a mention. The former Club America defender is one of the most popular members of the Mexico squad and has largely been successful in Europe, but he may need to leave Portugal this summer in order to get regular minutes ahead of next summer's World Cup. He's also a player who could make an immediate impact.

Monterrey, Club America or another club bringing in Layun may not completely dampen the impact of Vela and Dos Santos, but it would restore the sense that Liga MX clubs are both looking to and can compete with MLS for that high-end Mexico international talent. -- Tom Marshall

Marcelo Diaz

There's still time to increase the number of Chilean footballers in Liga MX. At first it looked as if Gary Medel would be the one to land at Tigres and take over the void left by Argentine defensive midfielder Guido Pizarro. Instead, that honor could end up going to Medel's compatriot Marcelo Diaz, whose Celta Vigo contract has been terminated.

Tigres' last three league results -- two 1-1 draws and one 2-1 loss -- suggest that the team is still trying to find their groove. Manager Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti is worried about the team's poor finishing in its last three matches; however, the midfield partnership of Lucas Zelarayan and Jesus Duenas has also been an issue.

Let's keep in mind that Duenas, although he's not afraid to play deep in front of the center-backs, tends to shine when he can make more appearances in the final third. Zelarayan's contributions in the attacking end have been so superb, that it seems difficult for Tuca to take him out of the XI.

But the reality is that the team is still in need of a defensive midfielder with similar qualities to those of Pizarro's. Diaz is a midfielder who could come into the squad and provide more balance to the XI. Tigres' attack is scary, and while their defense has been together for many years, the current situation requires a midfielder who can provide needed balance in the tightest area of the field. -- Nayib Moran

Alejandro Romero

On Cruz Azul's radar for a couple of weeks now, the Huracan attacking midfielder has experience with Argentina at youth level, having participated in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand and has played in both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana for his current side. At just 22, Romero could be a major signing for a club that has already revamped a struggling offense with the likes of Edgar Mendez and Alejandro Faurlin.

There's a sense that Romero could move and the Huracan board has made mention that Cruz Azul is sniffing around their young star. He won't come on the cheap, but a purchase like this could truly mark the Mexico City side's intent for the Apertura 2017.

Though Romero's reported price tag of $10 million will likely not be the final number, it's clear that the young Argentine star could be a difference maker in Liga MX. -- Eric Gomez

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