3 big offseason storylines from around MLS

We're in the dog days of the MLS offseason, but that doesn't mean there haven't been some significant developments since the calendar flipped to 2026. Here are a few of the league-wide storylines that stand out as we head into the final stretch of downtime before clubs start reporting for preseason training camp.

Riqui Puig has a setback

After a disastrous MLS Cup title defense last year, the LA Galaxy seemed like they were having the type of offseason that could lead to a quick turnaround. They acquired an MLS-proven centerback in Jakob Glesnes in a trade with Philadelphia, theoretically stabilizing their perennially erratic and leaky back line. Then they went out and signed former NYCFC homegrown Justin Haak, another defensive reinforcement who was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market. Throw in the pending return of superstar No. 10 Riqui Puig from a torn ACL that cost him all of last season, and the Galaxy were lining up to be a trendy pundit pick to have a bounce-back in 2026.

That plan was thrown for a loop this week, though, with the announcement that Puig had a setback in his recovery that required another operation, meaning he's now slated to miss all of the upcoming season. By the time he's ready to return in 2027, the Galaxy will have gone without their attacking centerpiece and one of the most talented players in MLS for two consecutive seasons.

It could very well doom them to Western Conference irrelevance once again in 2026, but there are a couple of factors that should leave the Galaxy more equipped to deal with this than they were last year. First, they'll ostensibly put him on their Season-Ending Injury list, something they famously did not do last year. If they do that this time, it gives them the ability to actually fill his Designated Player spot for the season ahead. On top of that, the Glesnes and Haak additions make their first-choice XI much stronger defensively, which was a bigger issue for them last year than scoring goals. For those reasons, I still like the Galaxy to take a step forward, especially if they can hit on a Puig replacement and get better injury luck. It just makes their road back to contention quite a bit murkier in the short term.

Wilfried Nancy gets sacked

When Wilfried Nancy departed the Columbus Crew to coach Celtic in the Scottish Premiership just over a month ago, it seemed like it'd be an interesting case study as to how an elite MLS manager would fare coaching a high-profile club in Europe. In practice, it did not turn out to be that at all.

Nancy is out at Celtic after just eight games, six of which he lost, in what quickly devolved into a debacle of a tenure. It's ignited plenty of debate and discourse as to whether Nancy was overrated. The Frenchman is considered one of the best MLS coaches of the last decade, after all, so his Celtic tenure is getting talked about as some kind of failed litmus test.

Having followed Nancy's full tenure in MLS, both with CF Montréal, then with Columbus, I don't really buy that he was overwhelmed or out of his depth coaching in the Scottish Premiership. From the outside, it seems clear that he entered a dysfunctional situation, in the middle of a spiraling season, with no infrastructure or high-level talent to lean on, and no time to impart any tactics that could have offset a broken roster. No coach can succeed in those circumstances. If Nancy miscalculated anything, it was the timing of taking over a club already in the full swing of their season, when that dysfunction had already taken hold. Hopefully, Nancy's next job is in a more stable situation, where he can impart his ideas from the outset, and we get a chance to see what he can really do.

Biggest transfer headlines

As far as transfer news goes, Philadelphia have been the unexpected stars of the show coming off their Supporters' Shield win in 2025. Aside from trading a former linchpin in Glesnes, the Union have also moved star left back Kai Wagner (transfer to Birmingham City) and striker Tai Baribo (trade to D.C. United). On the incoming side, they brought in 20-year-old Ghanaian striker Ezekiel Alladoh and centerback Finn Sundstrom, who was a breakout star in the USL Championship for North Carolina FC last year. The Union have earned a reputation as one of the league's savviest teams with this kind of stuff, but it's still interesting to see this much turnover from a reigning Shield-winner.

The Chicago Fire are also positioning themselves as a trendy breakout pick in the East after making the playoffs last year in their first season under Gregg Berhalter. In addition to selling Brian Gutiérrez to Chivas Guadalajara, their biggest splash came in free agency, where they brought in longtime Minnesota United star Robin Lod to supplement an attack that was already one of the league's best last year. All the 2026 Chicago Fire have to do is play league-average defense, and they should be one of the best teams in the East. Given their history, that's anything but a given, but Berhalter has also undeniably turned their club into a much more stable and competent operation.

Then, you've got Inter Miami, who are reloading for their MLS Cup title defense. The Herons have signed two defenders, permanently acquired Rodrigo de Paul, re-signed Luis Suárez, and made a big splash at goalkeeper by poaching Dayne St. Clair from Minnesota to be their new starter in net. The St. Clair addition is the one that could loom the largest as it pertains to Inter Miami maintaining their dominance in 2026. St. Clair might not be as good as his 2025 Goalkeeper of the Year award would lead you to believe, but he is better than any of the options they've trotted out in goal during the Messi era. If anyone is hoping for an Inter Miami fall-off in 2026, I would not get my hopes up.