Liga MX: The biggest moves from the 2019 Clausura Draft | OneFootball

We are just three days away from kicking off the 2019 Liga MX Apertura season, so we leave you with a guide of key signings to watch in the upcoming tournament.

Cruz Azul lead the way

After falling in the final for the sixth time since they last won the Liga MX title, manager Pedro Caixinha took the idea of reinforcing La Máquina very seriously and made a bunch of signings that could help Cruz Azul lift the trophy for the first time in 21 years.

Despite just scoring once last season, extremely promising 22-year-old Mexican international Orbelín Pineda joined Cruz Azul from Chivas in an €11m deal.

He will become their number 10 and many believe he will be the ideal partner for Iván Marcone, whom La Maquina just brought in from Lanús in July.

Of course, Cruz Azul also brought in Peruvian international Yoshi Yotún from Major League Soccer’s Orlando City in a €3.5m deal.

In 32 MLS appearances over two seasons, Yotún was lethal from central midfield positions, scoring five times and contributing a whopping 14 assists.

Yotún, who has 78 caps, started all three games for Peru in last summer’s FIFA World Cup in Russia and made the 2018 MLS All-Star team.

Jesús Molina

Molina has worn the colours of four of the most important teams in Mexican soccer: Tigres, América, Santos Laguna, and Monterrey.

This tournament, the 30-year-old adds a fifth big name to his CV as he is now at Chivas after a €2.6m deal.

Though the defensive midfielder has been capped 30 times for his country, he was not named to this year’s 23-man World Cup squad, despite being named to the 28-man preliminary roster.

Despite his exclusion from Russia, Molina is still thought of as one of the best players in Liga MX.

Edwin Cardona

The Colombian left behind his life at Boca Juniors and returns to Mexican football.

After an underwhelming loan spell in Argentina, where he managed to score nine goals and add four assists in 39 matches despite not getting much playing time, Monterrey have now loaned the winger to Pachuca.

Cardona has already shown off his talent with his new side, scoring a very cheeky penalty in their friendly match against Cruz Azul.

Maxi Meza

Monterrey splashed the cash this winter, signing World Cup veteran Maxi Meza on a five-year deal from Superliga power Independiente for a whopping €13.2m.

He won the Copa Sudamericana with Independiente in 2017 and featured in all four matches for Argentina at the World Cup this summer in Russia, starting the first two group stage matches.