The last piece of the LA Galaxy’s offseason overhaul fell into place on Wednesday, when the team announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong from AC Milan.

De Jong is, most likely, the final move of an offseason in which the Galaxy added and subtracted some twenty players – and the final move of a triumphant two weeks in which LA announced the signings of de Jong, Ashley Cole, and Jelle Van Damme.

It also marks the successful conclusion of an offseason in which LA was able to do what virtually no other club in the league was able to do: Play offense instead of defense.

It’s been a classic offseason for Bruce Arena. The US’ most successful coach, who has always been notably strident in his work with and around MLS’ rules, has revamped a roster that, as Robbie Keane put it, was quietly in need of a shakeup.

So out went fan favorites Juninho and Omar Gonzalez, two of the club’s most well-liked and consistent performers throughout the Arena era.

Those moves riled many, but both made sense. Juninho was a casualty of the Steven Gerrard signing in central midfield, while Gonzalez needed a change of scenery after flagging performances throughout 2015 saw him fall out of Jurgen Klinsmann’s national team picture.

More than that, though, moving Gonzalez freed up the cap room with which LA brought in the three new players unveiled in the last week.

And de Jong, a veteran of several World Cups and spells with Manchester City and AC Milan on his résumé, Cole, England’s best left back of the 21st century, and Van Damme, the longtime captain of Standard Liege, are worth the investment.

Bringing the trio aboard was a remarkable feat in itself. All three players took pay-cuts to come to Southern California – a clear sign of LA’s stature and outstanding reputation around the world – and are making less money combined this year than Gonzalez made last year.

LA needed help. The Galaxy didn’t fall apart last year because of happenstance, because of bad goalkeeping, or because of age. They fell apart because they didn’t have a bench, they couldn’t defend, and they never figured out how to accommodate Gerrard or Giovani dos Santos.

A virtual reshuffle of existing pieces – a strategy adopted this offseason by the majority of MLS’ challengers to the Portland Timbers’ throne – wasn’t going to cut it.

So LA, as they’re wont to do, acted boldly. De Jong, at 31 years of age, is an absolute steal. Cole has been rightly lambasted for his deplorable personal conduct over the years, but no one has ever said he couldn’t play. Arena’s bet is that, after a nightmarish spell in Rome, Cole’s more motivated than he was at this time last year.

The real virtue, however, in Cole’s signing may simply be that it finally pushes AJ DeLaGarza to a permanent spot at center back. A DeLaGarza – Van Damme pairing is certainly an upgrade over 2015’s Gonzalez – Leonardo look.

LA should also be better in goal, where Donovan Ricketts has been replaced with Dan Kennedy.

Of course, LA is old. AARP old. But Arena’s preference for older players is well established, and no coach in league history has gotten more out of MLS veterans that he has.

Kennedy – a long-time target who himself should be plenty motivated after a lost season in Dallas – is another upgrade in the first XI. But the Galaxy tended to their bench as well.

If Mike Magee stays healthy, he’s the steal of the offseason. When LA traded Magee to Chicago in 2013 for Robbie Rogers’ rights, the deal was lambasted. Three years later, the Galaxy could have one of the league’s best fullbacks in Rogers and Magee scoring goals off the bench.

And Magee is the type of player LA was missing last year – an impact substitute who can be trusted with important minutes. Throw Jeff Larentowicz, Dan Gargan, Leonardo, the re-signed Alan Gordon, a healthy Jose Villareal, a healthy Baggio Husidic, an emerging Bradford Jameison, an emerging Emmanuel Boateng, and all of the sudden, LA has as much depth as team in the league.

Managing minutes is going to be important. LA’s starting lineup was set in stone throughout the last three months of 2015, and by the time they lost in the playoffs, fatigue – especially for a player like Sebastian Lleget – had set in.

On paper, this Galaxy team is one of the most talented in league history. One of the silver linings of the sales in December was that the club hung onto Gyasi Zardes, who is primed for a big year.

Gerrard has the incentive of this being his final season, the protection of de Jong, and some familiarity with the league. He’ll almost surely be better than he was last season. Same goes for dos Santos, for the final reason especially.

There’s no motivator like losing, especially for a club accustomed to winning. Keane called his own preseason, bringing LA’s players together in advance of the official start of the new campaign early in January.

This club wants to win. Now. The likes of Gerrard and Keane know that time is running out on their careers. It might be running out on Arena’s too.

So maybe the new signings struggle. Maybe this team still doesn’t have the balance and fortitude to win. Maybe it doesn’t have the athleticism or youth. But there’s no question that LA improved this offseason. They improved by being aggressive – more aggressive than any other team who made the playoffs last year.

There’s plenty to like in that. And there’s plenty to like about LA’s chances to return to MLS Cup in 2016.