Orlando City acquired Jose Villarreal’s rights from the LA Galaxy on Dec. 27, 2017, in exchange for the Lions’ third-round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. It seemed like a shrewd piece of business to give up a low draft selection for a player who showed a lot of potential in LA, but it turns out the Galaxy were much more willing to give Villarreal than Orlando City was.
Lions’ GM Niki Budalic said this about Villarreal when he was acquired:
“We are pleased to add Jose,” Orlando City’s General Manager Budalic said in a club press release.