Rumor: 2026 MLS In-Season Roster Moves, Signings, Speculation, & Rumors

Normally I would agree with you as I'm a Philly Union fan but not this time. Hugo is 29 and last year wasn't exactly his best, right? Also Lewandowski is a huge investment in the team that is far more accomplished. I seriously don't think they sit still and more is coming as this team has a chance to make a run this year.

 

Spot on and if they get Goretzka that would be worth losing Cuypers. Don't think it happens but we shall see. MLS roster rules changing in anyway going into next year seems like the most guarded secret ever. I don't get it as they need some buzz to excite the core fans as they flip the season.

 

Everyone is also assuming Cuypers wanted to stay. If the Fire were pretty sure he wasn't going to re-sign then this is absolutely the right move to make.

 

The other thing, if Lewandowski did not arrive, would Cuypers have resigned and become a real Chicago Fire legend? We will never know.

 

Even if it was a completely unregulated market Monterrey could have outbid every MLS team, no?

 

Could they? Why can't any MLS team compete that has a DP spot open? Not sure what you mean here, is it because they have unlimited funds or....

 

I mean, you can say that about any player.

Stuttgart have signed Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City for €15 million. Why didn't every club in Europe put in a bid for him? Because that's not how transfers generally work.

 

I'm sorry, I thought you meant they had some kind of advantage, instead of just willing to get the player at any cost. The trade for cash is an option but I wasn't sure if that had limits and that was what you meant.

 

I think that how these things generally work is that the agent speaks to potential buyers and tries to get his client the best deal. We don't know if he spoke to any other clubs in MLS or elsewhere.

 

Yes, everyone that is opposed to selling Cuypers to Monterrey have no clue what the offers for him was and for me part of the problem with MLS. You create this back and forth by not announcing details and reasoning after you make the deal. Why not just say we need more flexibility going forward and because of the budget restrictions needed to move him. We have more targets for the roster but without the flexibility, we really can't move forward.

 

This is a possibility too. Maybe because Monterrey offered him more than what Chicago or any other MLS team offered. Or maybe he views Liga MX as a better quality league which if he does then that should be a concern. Lately MLS players are quick to jump to Liga MX and some even say its due to better quality.

According to this STL was "competitive" and pushing hard for him. I don't what competitive means for them but it seems they couldn't better a $7.5M bid for an MLS golden boot winner.

Regarding Cuypers, I’m told that @stlCITYsc was not only in on him, but pushed until the very end to get a deal across the line w/Chicago.

This isn’t a case where they just made a gesture or small $$ offer. They were competitive. And that means their offer price was competitive…

— Matt Baker (@MattBakerSTL) July 20, 2026

Regarding Cuypers, I’m told that @stlCITYsc was not only in on him, but pushed until the very end to get a deal across the line w/Chicago.

This isn’t a case where they just made a gesture or small $$ offer. They were competitive. And that means their offer price was competitive too. Important to keep in mind now that CITY pivots to another target. #AllForCITY

 

Gregg Berhalter: Hugo Cuypers "expressed his desire to leave" following the signing of Robert Lewandowski.

The freed-up DP slot opens several other possibilities to add players elsewhere.#cf97 #vamosfire pic.twitter.com/OEYRYMxtFv

— Alex Calabrese (@amcalabrese12) July 20, 2026

 

Cuypers had been pretty open with Belgian media in the run up to the World Cup. He was asked about his chances to make the team and the rumors about new arrivals. His comments about the World Cup were that he needed to keep scoring and see what happened. About new arrivals, it was to the affect, I am in my prime. I want to play.

 

Monterrey has money and this, which beats my memory of St Louis.

 

The Fire just put out a ticket promo for $26 tickets for any non-Miami game for the rest of the season #cf97 pic.twitter.com/Keeu0ndVIi

— Colin (@ufcolin) July 19, 2026

Well at least they are trying to attract new fans to the stadium.

 

Maybe…I felt it had a twin towers aspect to it…sounds great on paper, but not working in practice.

Mourning and Mutumbo at Georgetown achieved very little together. Same with Stanley Roberts and Shaw at LSU, or the OG of twin towers, Hakeem and Sampson. They peaked with a single finals appearance, which they lost decisively. Hakeem won two titles by himself.

Or the Tony Dorsett-Herschel Walker backfield in Dallas.

 

How long is Klauss out with the Gals? Because if Cuypers can play at the same tempo as the rest of their attack, and I think he can, that would have been a perfect within-MLS move.

So maybe Cuypers thinks a move to Mexico could help his international career?

 

Actually, Hakeem benefited in his second run at the title with the addition of Clyde "The Glide" Drexler. Your point should they add another piece at a different position is spot on.

 

That is pretty bad AI in that picture.

 

Putting Photoshop out of business.

 

Samsunspor has some great kits, which is the only reason I recognize the team name

 

Don't look now, but St. Louis CITY SC is quietly assembling a solid front office, technical staff, scouting system, and player development team. They aggressively cleared roster space (including some popular or better known players) and have been acquiring players who fit their new system. Basically, they are doing now what they should have done in the two years between expansion announcement and the start of league play. Whether this approach will be successful remains to be seen, but the organized approach to the build is a significantly different method for CITY and seems well thought out.