Final Transactions for All 24 MLS Teams in the Transfer Window

If you are anything like me, it’s hard to keep up with all 24 teams in Major League Soccer. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with just one team. With the secondary transfer window having closed on August 7th, this is our final installment of the moves from the window. Here are the teams in alphabetical order (except Sporting KC, who are first in our hearts and on this list).

For Sporting KC, we’ll include the stories from last two updates, but for the rest of the teams, we’ll just stick to new stuff that happened since the last two versions of this story, which leaves a couple teams with no news. If you are looking for prior news and rumors, be sure to check out the prior versions of this story:

Part One

Part Two

Also, even though the transfer window is now officially closed, there is no reason teams can’t still make moves. It’s just a bit tougher. A few moves already happened after the transfer window closed and are included here.

Sporting Kansas City

• Thad got PV to shoot this one down, but SKC had been linked to a 24-year-old Honduran winger — Michaell Chrinos — who ultimately signed with Vancouver (see below).
• Former Sporting KC player Jacob Peterson tweeted an emoji of a car, eyes and a fountain. It probably means he’s road tripping to KC but he could be coming back. After all, Benny tweeted a plane and a fountain earlier this year then got traded to KC.
• SKC sign Homegrown midfielder, Cameron Duke.
• Sporting trade Kelyn Rowe to Real Salt Lake for TAM and an International Roster Spot
• Confirmed: Sporting KC sign left back Luis Martins (learn a bit about Martins here)
• Rumor: Sporting KC Make $6 Million Failed Bid for Argentine Midfielder.
• Sporting KC talking to 30 players currently.
• Felipe Gutierrez linked to Cruz Azul.

Atlanta United

• Rumor: Gremio (Brazil) reportedly tried to acquire Pity Martinez on loan from Atlanta.
• Florentin Pogba could move on a free transfer if he finds a team in the top two division of Spain to join.

Austin FC

• Nothing new.

Chicago Fire

• They made a trade with the Impact to swap spots in the allocation order. In addition to swapping spots in the allocation order (Chicago moved down) they acquired midfielder Michael Azira and a 2020 2nd round SuperDraft pick in exchange for defender Jorge Corrales.
• Somehow, the Fire traded the rights to Celtic left back Andrew Gutman (they never signed him though he was eligible to be a Homegrown) to Cincinnati. They also attached a 2020 3rd round SuperDraft pick. In exchange they’ll get at least $50,000 in GAM this year plus up to $150,000 in future GAM. Chicago retains a percentage of any future transfer fee. Two peak MLS trades from Chicago.

Colorado Rapids

• The Rapids obtained $200,000 in GAM for the top spot in the MLS Allocation Rankings from D.C. United. United used that spot to bring Ola Kamara back to MLS.

Columbus Crew SC

• The Crew continue a busy window by selling little used winger Niko Hansen to the Dynamo for $75,000 in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
• Columbus also sold CB Gaston Sauro to Liga MX side Toluca FC (who famously bombed out of the CCL to Sporting KC). No word on the transfer fee.

D.C. United

• In probably the biggest move of the window, Wayne Rooney will depart Washington D.C. at the end of the 2019 season. He’ll join Derby County in the English Championship (Johnny Russell’s old team). It’s an 18-month deal and he’ll reportedly leave on a free transfer.
• DCU first traded for the top spot in the MLS Allocation Rankings with the Colorado Rapids sending $200,000 in GAM their way. They then used that spot to sign former LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew striker Ola Kamara from Shenzhen FC (China) for a $2.5 million transfer fee.
• This didn’t go down before the deadline, but D.C. United are set to meet with Mesut Ozil’s representatives next week. He’s under contract with Arsenal (England) until the summer of 2021.
• DCU acquired winger/wide-midfielder Emmanuel Boateng from the Galaxy for $250,000 in TAM.
• United also acquired midfielder Felipe Martins from Vancouver for $75,000 in 2020 TAM and a 2020 international roster spot.
• As if they hadn’t made enough moves, DCU also mutually parted ways with midfielder Chris McCann.

FC Cincinnati

• Former United States International winger Joe Gyau is coming to Cincinnati via MSV Duisburg (Germany 3.Liga).
• Cincy also added another promising young talent in left back Andrew Gutman on loan from Celtic (Scotland). The loan runs all the way through the end of the 2020 season. Celtic previously tried to loan Gutman to Nashville SC, but they couldn’t because of MLS rules as the Chicago Fire owned his rights. Cincy obtained those rights in exchange for $50,000 in 2019 GAM and up to $150,000 in future GAM. Cincy sent their 2020 3rd round pick in the SuperDraft as part of the deal as well. The Fire also own a percentage of any future transfer fee for Gutman.
• Cincy acquired Derrick Etienne Jr. on loan from the Red Bulls for the Chicago Fire’s 3rd round SuperDraft pick in 2020. The loan runs through the end of 2019.
• Cincinnati released veteran midfielder Eric Alexander.

FC Dallas

• After the deadline closed (see, players can still be signed), FC Dallas signed midfielder Eric Alexander who had been recently cut this week by Cincy.

Houston Dynamo

• The Dynamo seem to have gotten better and deeper by trading for LAFC striker Christian Ramirez for only $175,000 in GAM and $75,000 in TAM. Remember, LA paid up to $1 million for him last year. Ouch.
• The Dynamo acquired winger Niko Hansen in a trade with the Crew. They sent just $75,000 in TAM to make the deal happen.
• With the addition of a striker and a winger, some are wondering if Houston are about to sell Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas.
• The Dynamo also released MLS veteran defender Chris Duvall.

Inter Miami CF

• Miami now have a trio of 19-year-old stars. They added Venezuelan youth international Christian Makoun from Zamora FC (Venezuela).
• Former AC Milan (Italy) boss Gennaro Gattuso is in the running to be the first coach of the new Miami MLS squad. Napoli (Italy) manager Carlo Ancelotti is said to be in consideration as well.

LA Galaxy

• In a blockbuster move that didn’t happen until after the window closed (no clue how that’s okay but it’s LA), the Galaxy announced a free-loan for 23-year-old winger Cristian Pavon. The rich get richer. They made a series of other moves (see below) to get all the TAM/GAM to make this happen. He won’t count as a DP even though he was reportedly worth £40 million last year.
• One such deal was trading away Emmanuel Boateng for $250,000 in TAM.
• LA sent $136,220 of GAM to Orlando City in exchange for $136,220 of TAM.
• LA Galaxy Confidential (our sister site) has a good breakdown on how the Galaxy would need to move money around to afford Pavon.
• Another move that hasn’t happened yet but is rumored is that Jorgen Skjelvik and his albatross contract could head to Hammarby IF (Sweden) to create more cap space. AEG owns all of the Galaxy and 45% of Hammarby IF.

Los Angeles Football Club

• LAFC added their third Designated Player. 19-year-old winger/striker Brian Rodriguez will occupy a young DP slot after joining from Penarol (Uruguay) on a reported $11.5 million transfer fee. Whoa! (For what it’s worth, The Athletic has the fee at just $8 million.)
• For the second straight year Christian Ramirez was traded in the summer. This time to the Dynamo for $175,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and $75,000 in TAM. Just a fraction of what they paid in 2018, which was up to $1 million allocation money.
• Latif Blessing signed a two-year extension with LAFC. So much for that return to KC.
• There is a report that 20-year-old fullback Diego Palacios chose to go to LAFC over Barcelona B (Spain). He is a free agent, so LAFC just have to complete the deal before the roster freeze on August 30th.
• The move didn’t happen, but LAFC reportedly received a $17 million dollar offer for Diego Rossi from Fiorentina (Italy). Rossi and Rodriguez both came from Penarol.

Minnesota United

• MNUFC added a young Designated Player at the deadline. They are bringing in 18-year-old attacking midfielder Thomas Chacon from Danubio FC (Uruguay). They reportedly paid $4 million for 70% of his rights.

Montreal Impact

• The Impact signed former Barcelona, Roma and Stoke attacker Bojan Krkic.
• 20-year-old Ballou Tabla is returning from Barcelona B (Spain) on loan until the end of the season. Tabla left on an undisclosed fee last year to Barcelona.
• To get Tabla, since he left on a transfer fee that must be north of $500K, they had to move up in the allocation order. Montreal made a trade with the Fire to swap spots. As a part of the deal they traded midfielder Michael Azira and a 2020 2nd round SuperDraft pick in exchange for defender Jorge Corrales.
• Center back Victor Cabrera has signed an extension through 2020 with a team option for 2021.

Nashville SC

• NSC acquired their fifth player in a trade for midfielder Anibal Godoy from the San Jose Earthquakes. The trade is for $650,000 in GAM, continuing the Cincinnati trend of overpaying for MLS veterans by expansion teams loaded with GAM (shame SKC can’t find someone to overpay them again). Former Sporting KC staff member Mike Jacobs explained the move.

New England Revolution

• The Revs loan two players to two seperate USL teams in North Carolina. Midfielder Isaac Angking went to Charlotte Independence and forward Justin Rennicks is going to North Carolina FC. The Revolution can recall them at any time but they are currently on loan through the end of 2019.

New York City FC

• Rumor: Napoli striker Dries Mertens is being linked to a summer 2020 move to NYCFC.

New York Red Bulls

• The Red Bulls added a Young Designated Player in 22-year-old winger Josh Sims from Southampton (England). He’s on loan only through the end of the 2019 season.
• Aaron Long doesn’t get sold before the window closes.
• NYRB loaned striker Derrick Etienne to FC Cincinnati in exchange for the Fire’s 2020 third-round SuperDraft pick. Cincy have an option to purchase Etienne at the end of the loan which runs through the end of this season.
• In a continuation of their path to the pros, New York promoted fullback Rece Buckmaster from NYRB II to the first team.

Orlando City

• OCSC have added a new Designated Player. They signed Uruguayan attacking midfielder Mauricio Pereyra on a free transfer after his deal expired with FC Krasnodar (Russia). It’s only an 18-month deal through the end of the 2020 season.

Philadelphia Union

• Nothing new.

Portland Timbers

• Nothing new.

Real Salt Lake

• Acquired Kelyn Rowe from SKC for $75,000 in TAM and an international roster spot.

San Jose Earthquakes

• The Quakes have added a TAM forward in Argentine Andres Rios. He joins from Racing Club (Argentina).
• SJ traded away Anibal Godoy for $650,000 in GAM from 2020 expansion side Nashville SC. Godoy will remain with the team for the rest of the 2019 season.

Seattle Sounders

• The Sounders acquired midfielder Emanuel Cecchini on loan from Malaga CF (Spain) through the 2020 season.
• Seattle also brought MLS veteran Luis Silva (FWD/MID) back to the league from FC Honka (Finland).

Toronto FC

• TFC have added winger Nicolas Benezet on loan from Ligue 2 side Guingamp (France) as a TAM signing. They hold an option to buy at the end of the loan.

Vancouver Whitecaps

• One move that didn’t come to pass according to head coach Marc dos Santos was because a team backed out and traded that player elsewhere. One rumor is that it was Kelyn Rowe, who went to RSL.
• The Caps added winger Michaell Chirinos on loan from CD Olimpia (Honduras) through the end of the 2019 season. He was falsely rumored to be coming to Kansas City.
• VWFC did lose a player sending Felipe Martins to DCU. In exchange they received $75,000 in TAM in 2020 and a 2020 international roster spot.
• The Caps also mutually parted ways with one of their bigger offseason signings in Lucas Venuto.
• The Whitecaps signed 16-year-old GK Chituru Odunze to a Homegrown deal and then promptly transferred him to Leicester City in the Premier League.
• One good part of the Whitecaps season has been goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. Now the club has extended his deal through 2022 with a team option for 2023.
• Toronto FC veteran Tosaint Ricketts will return from Lithuania to play for VWFC. He is signed through 2019 with an option for 2020.

With the transfer window shut, the moves should slow down, but as always, it’s worth remembering the roster freeze date in MLS is August 30th and more signings can (and will) happen.