Analyzing the latest moves on the MLS transfer market

We're barreling toward the start of Concacaf Champions Cup and the 2026 MLS season, but the transfer action hasn't slowed down as clubs finalize their rosters.

Here are some thoughts on the latest news around the league that could have big implications when the marathon begins in just a couple weeks.

Note: A couple of these have not been officially finalized as of this writing, but should be in the coming days according to reporting from Tom Bogert and other outlets.

LA Galaxy trade for João Klauss

When news broke that superstar playmaker Riqui Puig was out for a second straight season after a setback with his ACL recovery, the Galaxy's next task became finding a Designated Player replacement (using the open spot created by Puig's placement on the Season-Ending Injury List). On Tuesday, they made that move official with the announcement they've acquired forward João Klauss in a $2.375 million cash-for-player trade with St. Louis CITY SC.

The big Brazilian obviously isn't a like-for-like replacement for Puig. But he is a more proven option up top than U22 striker Matheus Nascimento, who had some nice moments last year, but probably can't be tasked with leading the line for an MLS attack just yet. Klauss's run with St. Louis wasn't spectacular, but he did post two seasons with double-digit goals. In that sense, he makes sense as an intra-league target that provides a seemingly solid floor at a position of need.

On the other hand, he also doesn't do anything to offset the loss of Puig's skillset as a facilitator and engine of the offense. Now, it seems as though the bulk of playmaking duties will fall on Marco Reus, who actually had a good year in 2025 despite the Galaxy's disastrous on-field results. But he's also 36 and has a lengthy injury history. Can he really hold up and carry the load for an entire season at this point in his career? If not, the Galaxy might end up wishing they'd allocated these resources to some sort of midfield reinforcements and not a pure No. 9.

Austin FC land Facundo Torres

Austin have somewhat quietly become one of the league's biggest spenders, and they've splashed another big fee (reportedly around $10 million) for former Orlando City attacker Facundo Torres, who spent last season in Brazil with Palmeiras. The 25-year-old Uruguayan was plenty productive during his time with Orlando, posting 47g/20a in 123 appearances (all competitions), so the hope will be that he'll give a jolt to an Austin attack that's been among the more anemic in MLS for the past two years.

Between Torres and fellow DPs Myrto Uzuni and Brandon Vazquez, Austin look to have plenty of attacking talent on paper. But that's also been true the past two years, only for the pieces to look mismatched on the field when the games actually start. If that happens again in 2026, Austin are in danger of becoming the Atlanta United of the Western Conference – big spenders without the results to show for it.

Chicho Arango leaving San Jose

In one of the more shocking developments of the offseason, Tommy Scoops is reporting that the San Jose Earthquakes are transferring DP forward Chicho Arango to Colombia's Atletico Nacional, just a couple of weeks after he signed a long-term contract extension. According to Tom, "personal reasons" were the impetus for why Arango finds himself on the outs so soon after signing on to stay.

Should that get finalized, the Quakes would be among the top candidates for the toughest offseason of any MLS team. This is the same club that also lost Cristian Espinoza, one of the most talented players in the league, to Nashville SC in free agency after they forgot to pick up his contract option. Throw in the departure of Josef Martínez to Club Tijuana, and San Jose have now lost all three of their top attackers from 2025, two of which were not anticipated.

The saving grace here is that the Quakes are reportedly linked to German international star Timo Werner, although there haven't been any developments on that front over the last couple of weeks. If they can get that over the line, it would salvage some of the vibes, even if it probably wouldn't single-handedly offset all these losses.

Alex Freeman on the move

In the outgoing market, Orlando City are reportedly sending fullback Alex Freeman to Spanish side Villarreal for a fee that could end up as high as $7 million. Freeman was one of the biggest breakout stories in MLS last year, rising from a relatively unknown prospect into a Best XI performer and legitimate USMNT World Cup roster candidate. Even if he shouldn't have won last year's Young Player of the Award over Obed Vargas, he very much showed himself worthy of a move overseas, where we'll get to see if all the hype is justified.

Sometimes a young player like this can dominate in MLS only to find themselves out of their depth when they get to Europe, but I like Freeman's chances of making good on his potential. He certainly has all the physical tools, with elite size and athleticism that gives him a chance to at least hold his own defensively, which will be the biggest question as he heads to La Liga. If he can hone that part of his game, he's a truly excellent attacker, which he put on full display for Orlando last season when he scored six goals and constantly pressured opposing defenses from the right flank.

Timbers land Cole Bassett

Do Seattle's arch-rivals finally have their Diego Chara replacement? The Timbers are reportedly snagging Cole Bassett from the Colorado Rapids for a fee that could approach $4 million with incentives.

Bassett isn't the fearsome defensive enforcer that Chara is, but he's very good on that side of the ball in his own right. And he offers more in attack, with 12g/11a for Colorado over the last two seasons while mostly playing as a box-to-box No. 8. He can play higher up the field, too, giving Phil Neville some flexibility when he's contending with fixture congestion and lineup rotation.

Portland's biggest issue over the last couple of years has been their tendency to lose control of game states and concede soft goals. Bassett alone doesn't solve all of that, but his work rate and defensive prowess should help. I like this pickup for the Timbies.