Rumor: 2025-26 MLS Offseason Roster Moves, Signings, Speculation, & Rumors

Just an FYI for where MLS (and every other league) might be looking to. Earlier this week, DAZN just pulled out of their streaming deal with the JPL in Belgium. There have been lots of issues with this relationship to say the least. There is still a massive question if they will stream the remainder of the season as they want to simply walk away from the deal. If that happens, the Belgian Clubs will loose a lot of revenue, and the potential for a fire sale in the winter window for just about every club is a real possibility.

MLS has hit this league quite hard recently with some really good signings, Zinkernagel, Cuypers, Denkey, and Cuevas.

 

The JPL is a development league for the rest of Europe. Their top teams tend to routinely sell several of their starters to other leagues every year.

But yeah, this is bad for them.
@Belgian guy could share more, if so inclined.

 

I don’t X or Insta, so no link from me.

CB Brayan Vera from RSL sold to Montreal for $1.5M, after exercising the team’s option year for 2026.

We bought him from Colombia in 2023 for $1.6M. I’d rate him as a solid MLS CB with a wicked left footed shot and hot temper that gets him and the team in trouble. Not super speedy, but a bruiser.

 

DAZN did a deal that made them a reseller and they failed to resell. So they dumped the deal.

"DAZN failed to secure carriage with key distributors such as Proximus and Telenet, leaving games available only via its own app – a model the company says was not commercially viable.'"

Lawsuit!!!!

DAZN withdraws from Belgian Pro League after distribution failure https://share.google/Br1tqVbsAjzTTMZik

 

Danny Leyva to Necaxa.

Liga MX is taking all the Mexican-Americans since they count as domestic there. Hate to see these players go. Brian Gutierrez is up next. Rumors of Chivas and Monterrey wanting him. Wouldn't doubt it Diego Luna will have offers too if no European offers come his way.

 

Luna has been rumored to have overseas offers, but I have no idea if they have been competitive. Could be the Italians offering RSL quality wine, tomatoes, and fashion accessories for 2years and 30% sell-on clause.

 

Leyva definitely seemed to improve last season. When he was loaned out to Colorado a couple seasons ago I was a little grateful. This season he turned into a fairly solid young player who made definite contributions to the Sounders.

 

When Chicho came to RSL, reportedly he had a rough time with Pachuca, as well as his family disliked their experience in MX. I think they are very happy to be on the CA Coast.

I thought Guti may have gone for more than $5M, but that is still pretty decent payoff for a homegrown.

 

I know it’s a long shot, I know the conventional wisdom is that Salah will go to Saudi Arabia, but MLS is the other logical landing spot. Anyway, he was a DNP today, and in the evening gave an interview where he sounds pretty pissed at Slot. Having read the interview, it’s almost impossible for me to imagine Slot and Salah both being at Liverpool when Salah returns from AFCON.

Salah spoke a lot of his love for the club and th fans, so I can’t see him staying in England. Not many European clubs make financial sense for the player or the club.

I wonder if it would be allowed in league rules for SDFC to offer him a high 7 figure salary, but also a 2 or 3 or 5% ownership stake.

 

Oh yeah forgot about that

 

https://bsky.app/profile/tombogert.bsky.social/post/3m7g7dy57gc2v

Tommy Scoops:

$500K GAM was the price.

 

Vancouver announces their year end moves:

Vancouver Whitecaps roster: Thomas Müller contract option exercised | MLSSoccer.com

 

For some reason I can't remember so many new signings last year right after the Cup was decided. Houston with possibly two more, Miami seems to have a couple of verbal agreements and Chicago already moving a player out & signed a U22 defender out of South Africa. Philly never has stuff done this early, that's new for me with two players one done and another about to be announced. I love the hot stove season for MLS but come next year this time, oh how it is going to be different.

 

If that is Houston's "big" DP signing they sure act like a poverty club. He has to be a DP for cap purposes, right? No way a $2M transfer fee makes this guy a DP unless he is going to get paid a bit over the max TAM which would make it even worse. What a shame for Houston. Such a soccer rich city. No wonder in that city Monterrey and Tigres have a huge following.

 

Salah to MLS. You heard it here first.

Going to talk that into existence! San Diego, LAFC, Inter Miami, Chicago Fire, NYCFC, someone make it happen before Saudi clubs come in and take him.