ALABAMA - Just two months after being released by the LA Galaxy, it seems like Javier "Chicharito" Hernández has found a new club to continue his professional career.
After lots of speculation on his future, it seems like a return to Mexico is the most likely scenario for the 35-year-old. According to reports from ESPN's Sergio Dipp, "Chicharito" is close to a fairytale return to his boyhood club, Chivas de Guadalajara.
"Chicharito" developed as a young and slippery striker with Guadalajara between 2006 and 2010. A goalscoring title during the Bicentenario 2010 caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson, agreeing a deal with then Chivas owner Jorge Vergara to make "Chicharito" the first Mexican to ever play for Manchester United.
"Chicharito" won two Premier League titles with the English giants. He also spent some time with Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and Sevilla before returning to North America, although to the U.S. rather than Mexico.
After four seasons in MLS, "Chicharito" saw his LA Galaxy career halted when he suffered an ACL injury in June of last year. He closed his MLS chapter with 82 games for the Galaxy, scoring 39 goals, becoming the team's seventh all-time leading scorer. In his four seasons there, "Chicharito" made the All-Star game twice, claiming back-to-back LA Galaxy Player of the Year awards between 2021 and 2022.
Even though it wasn't a Hollywood ending for Hernández, he still had some bright moments during his stint. His 39 goals for the Galaxy rank second in his career for a club, only behind the 59 goals he scored as a Manchester United player.
Since leaving Mexico, "Chicharito" has been a relevant member of all the teams he has played in. Only in his short stint at Sevilla did "Chicharito" fail to play more than 20 games.
Perhaps a move to Mexico would bring out "Chicharito's" best version, one that could also help him make a comeback to the Mexican national team. The all-time goal scorer in the history of "El Tri" has not played a single game for the national team since 2019.
According to "Chicharito", him and then-Mexico coach Diego Cocca had a conversation where he welcomed Hernández into the team. "I received a call three weeks ago from Diego Cocca to inform me that, like myself and all the other Mexican players, our doors are open and everything would depend on our football level and the decisions that he makes," Hernandez said during a presentation for a real estate company he's an investor for.
With Jaime Lozano replacing Cocca, Hernández will hope that a good run of games with Chivas can help him return to "El Tri". He scored the last of his 52 international goals for Mexico almost five years ago, in a 3-0 win over the USMNT. "Chicharito" is not only Mexico's all-time leading scorer, he is also the Mexican with the most World Cup goals (4).
Just a few days ago, "Chicharito" himself denied claims that signal to his return to Chivas. During a Twitch stream alongside Tigres' André-Pierre Gignac and former América striker Oribe Peralta, Gignac "accidentally" let out that him and Hernández will have the opportunity to face each other "now that we are both playing in Mexico."
Javier Hernández had to come out with an Instagram post a couple of hours later arguing that he is yet to sign with any club and continues to work on recovering from the knee injury that has sidelined him since June.
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