LA Galaxy sign Belgian defender Jelle van Damme

The LA Galaxy announced Tuesday they've signed former Standard Liege captain and defender Jelle van Damme using targeted allocation money.

Van Damme has made over 300 appearances with Standard Liege since joining the team in 2011 and joins an LA Galaxy team looking for defensive reinforcements following the sale of star center-back Omar Gonzalez.

"Jelle is an experienced, talented defender who will strengthen our back line," Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said in a statement. "He joins our team with a wealth of experience playing at the highest levels of competition in the world. We look forward to adding him to our roster."

(Courtesy: @LAGalaxy)

He's well-regarded among Standard Liege fans, as he captained the team during his tenure in Belgium. He's also made international appearances with Belgium, having received 31 caps since 2003.

Van Damme is the first of two high-profile defenders the LA Galaxy have been linked to, as they've also been in pursuit of England left full-back Ashley Cole.