USMNT Transfer Watch - Movers and Shakers

Kellyn Acosta will be looking for a new home.
Chicago Fire FC, Kellyn Acosta mutually terminate contract | MLSSoccer.com

Chicago Fire FC and midfielder Kellyn Acosta have mutually terminated his contract, the club announced Wednesday.

The 30-year-old United States international spent the last two seasons in Chicago, tallying 3g/3a in 53 regular-season appearances.

 

El Bruce will know what to do with him, and that would be a great move frankly after moving on from Kaye

 

He's going to Poland.

 

Yeah, that's cool. There are reports out there of Acota moving to a Polish club. This club that's mentioned is currently mid-table. Am I reading that table right? IS Legia Warsaw in relegation danger????

If he'd stayed in MLS, he'd have rapidly moved up the all-time appearances list. Just turned 30 this past summer and he was already at 322 appearances.

🇺🇸 Sources: Kellyn Acosta is nearing an exit from Chicago Fire. Final details now. Likely mutual contract termination but TBD.

Acosta is finalizing a deal to sign with Polish club Pogoń Szczecin. @d_trzepacz 1st.

Acosta, 30, heading abroad. Made 300+ MLS regular season apps. pic.twitter.com/Cq43EyqTXq

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 13, 2026

 

Legia Warsaw lost 11 consecutive games this season at which point they were lucky to come across Lincoln Red Imps from tiny Gibraltar.

 

As we're now halfway thru January, let's update our transfer lists. A good list of moves so far, particularly for young players in MLS, but we're waiting for our eye-popping one.

As a reminder, we're not the "reliability police" when it comes to gossip. All we need is a tweet or press mentioning a move for us to include it.

For our list we'll include all players with USMNT or USYNT callups. Select others if it feels right.

Transfer Rumors

Kellyn Acosta: Pogoń Szczecin
Tyler Adams: Man United
Noahkai Banks: AC MIlan
Gavin Beavers: RBNY
Tristan Blackmon: Inter Miami
Luca Bombino: West Brom
Alex Freeman: Villarreal
Zavier Gozo: Aston Villa
Haji Wright: West Ham
Weston McKennie: Dallas
Cruz Medina: Chivas
Matko Miljevic: Inter Miami, Racing
Peyton Miller: Manchester City, Wolves
Ricardo Pepi: Fulham, Everton, West Ham, Leeds, Sunderland
Josh Sargent: West Ham, Toronto
Tanner Tessmann: Fiorentina
Alex Zendejas: LAG, Portland, Atlanta

Confirmed Transfers/Loans

Zach Booth: Excelsior to Real Salt Lake (loan with purchase option)
Tyler Boyd: Nashville to LAFC (free transfer)
Drake Callendar: Charlotte to Minnesota ($450k GAM +$300k incentives; future %)
Cole Campbell: Dortmund to Hoffenheim (loan with an option to buy)
Justin Che: Brøndby to RBNY (undisclosed)
Josh Cohen: Atlanta United to Chicago Fire (free agent)
Cade Cowell: Chivas to RBNY (loan with transfer option; $50k to San Jose for MLS rights)
Luca De la Torre: Celta Vigo to Charlotte (undisclosed fee; $50k to San Diego for MLS rights)
Hassani Dotson: Minnesota to Seattle (free agent)
Damion Downs: Southampton to Hamburg (loan)
Daniel Edelman: RBNY to Saint Louis ($700k plus incentives)
Kristian Fletcher: DCU to Cincinnati ($50k plus future incentives)
Brian Gutierrez: Chicago Fire to Chivas ($5 million +future %)
Justin Haak: NYCFC to LA Galaxy (free agent)
Ramiz Hamouda: Birmingham Legion to Werder Bremen (undisclosed)
Sean Johnson: TFC to DC United (free agent)
Ethan Kohler: Werder Bremen to New England Revolution (undisclosed fee)
Luca Koleosho: Burnley to Paris FC (loan with purchase option)
Brooklyn Raines: Houston Dynamo to New England Revolution ($1.6 million +$400k incentives)
Justin Reynolds: Chicago Fire to Sporting Kansas City ($100k GAM, draft pick, future %)
Peter Stroud: RBNY to Minnesota ($450k GAM + future %)
Gabriel Wesseh: Atlanta to Fredrikstad (free transfer)
William Yarbrough: Miami to TFC (free transfer)
Walker Zimmerman: Nashville to Toronto (free agent)

 

There were a bunch of rumors overnight about clubs being interested in Weston McKennie.

Exclusive: Weston McKennie has received initial approaches from two Premier League clubs. Also interest from Atletico Madrid and within Italy.

27-year-old Juventus midfielder could move this winter with his contract set to expire in summer.

Juventus have a £10m+ valuation.… pic.twitter.com/1AO2l1Y1ny

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 15, 2026

 

I've often wondered why so few players at high level go on frees. In theory, the transfer market is money players are missing out on.

I think part of the answer is that clubs often will not hesitate to sabotage players' careers if they don't go along.

 

Good luck trying to do that.

 

I don't understand that statement. Players aren't forced to sign contracts.

It's not like the pre-Bosman days when a club could refuse to release a player even when he or she was out of contract.

 

I find it a bit surprising as well, though there's three realities:

1. General standard is that the player receives 10% of the transfer fee as a bonus, right? So they are already getting some of that, and they get it immediately.
2. Your post transfer salary is based off your pre-transfer salary. You can up that by negotiating it on a free and trying to grab some of the transfer savings ... or you can negotiate off a much higher base by re-signing. The latter option has less risk and gets you paid more a year earlier or more earlier.
3. Teams do tend to have separate transfer and wages budgets and there are controls on each individually. Whether by rule or by general fiscal conservatism, teams will generally try to keep the wage bill down to where operating expenses and revenues can balance. Because transfer fees go on the balance sheet and can be recouped, there's teams who will spend there but not exceed their own salary budget. Dortmund seems to run this way -- sometimes big spends but there's a firm salary limit. So sometimes the substitution of funds isn't as possible as it seems.

 

I’m not him but I’m pretty sure he’s referring to clubs benching players who refuse to sign an extension, making them train with the reserves or even youth teams, etc.

 

Richards related, one of his valuable partners in crime, Guehi, just got poached by Man City. No doubt this will affect the palace back line, but he's now the big man on campus and theyll be counting on him a lot back there.

 

It didn't sound like that to me. Is he saying that they should let players who go on strike leave for free?

 

Obviously not

 

I guess Yarbrough to TFC wasn't official until today.
Toronto FC sign goalkeeper William Yarbrough | MLSSoccer.com

Toronto FC have signed goalkeeper William Yarbrough via free agency, the club announced Friday. He is under contract through the 2026 season, with an option through June 2027.

The 36-year-old arrives after joining Inter Miami CF mid-way through their MLS Cup 2025-winning campaign.

Previously, the former United States international logged 34 clean sheets in 120 regular-season appearances with the Colorado Rapids (2020-23) and the San Jose Earthquakes (2024).

 

JOsh Sargent now linked to Nottingham Forest
USMNT Transfer Rumors: $23 Million Striker on Premier League Club's Shortlist As They Look To Strengthen Squad in January

According to The Telegraph, USMNT and Norwich City man Josh Sargent has been identified as a target by Nottingham Forest, who are competing in the UEFA Europa League this term. He is expected to leave Norwich after making himself unavailable to play last weekend.

 

Missed this one a few days ago for former USYNTer Mason Toye.

Mason Toye joins FC Ingolstadt in free transfer - SBI Soccer

Mason Toye has joined FC Ingolstadt in a free transfer after his contract with MLS club Sporting KC expired earlier this offseason. Toye, 27, spent the last eight seasons in MLS after being drafted by Minnesota United in the first round of the 2018 MLS Draft.

 

Palace should have sold him two years ago when Newcastle was offering big money for him. Versus losing him for very little now.

 

Liverpool were going to give them a warchest just in summer I think

 

I'm pretty sure they'll take the trophies instead!!

 

There must be an accountant department that weighs selling vs staying, making Euros or making CL.

 

Not only that, but think of how much value the FA Cup has after zero trophies (besides second division titles) in 150 years or whatever.

 

The money from the Europa League group stage more than makes up for the lost transfer rev from keeping a player a bit longer.

 

Yeah, and that FA Cup in the cabinet is priceless.