The LA Galaxy have locked down one of their top prospects for the foreseeable future: Highly touted academy player Efrain Alvarez has officially joined Los Dos, making the 15-year-old the youngest signing in USL history.

In previous times, the Galaxy have been guilty of allowing some of their most talented youth products to slip through their grasp. A 17-year-old Paul Arriola declined a modest contract offer to play for Club Tijuana. Haji Wright flew across the country to join the Cosmos as a stopgap to Europe. Mario Rodriguez signed with Kaiserslautern.

The younger brother of former Chivas USA attacker Carlos Alvarez, Efrain is a genuine talent. Last year Mexico came swooping in for his services, and with plenty of interest in the academy product, there was real concern he could be incited to head elsewhere.

Proactively signing Efrain Alvarez is good business and a welcome change of pace for an organization that has been too passive with these deals in the past.

“Efrain is a landmark signing for this club and a sign of the quality coming through the LA Galaxy Academy,” Galaxy GM Pete Vagenas echoed in a statement. “We will continue to position him in the appropriate daily environment as we look to progress his maturation both on and off the field. We look forward to his professional development as a member of LA Galaxy II.”

“We are very excited to have Efrain begin his professional soccer career with LA Galaxy II,” added Los Dos manager Mike Muñoz. “He is an extremely talented player who has set himself apart during his time in our Academy and he will continue to improve as a player at the professional level.”