The MLS Primary Transfer window closes Wednesday evening and teams are staying busy. To keep you updated on the latest moves, GIVEMESPORT’s MLS insider Tom Bogert brings you the latest he’s hearing.
Real Salt Lake attacking boost
Real Salt Lake are still confident of completing a deal to sign Slovakia international forward Róbert Boženík from Boavista, sources tell GIVEMESPORT.
The player completed his medical on Tuesday and toured the facilities, but no documents have been signed and submitted yet. That is not abnormal, with plenty of time Wednesday to do so before the deadline closes.
The trickier part is Boavista.
The deal is agreed between all parties for $2 million, but one source says there’s a bit of a haggle over which currency the two-million dollar agreement was reached in. €2 million is worth around $2.3 million.
Snags with Boavista are to be expected.
Sources tell GIVEMESPORT that Feyenoord — Bozenik’s club before moving to Portugal — still haven’t been paid a transfer fee from Boavista. He was initially signed on loan in 2022 before making the move permanent in 2023. Boavista has still not paid a single penny to FC Dallas for a 2020 transfer of Reggie Cannon, sources add, nor have they to Houston Dynamo for a 2020 transfer of winger Alberth Elis.
Real Salt Lake at final stage to sign DP forward: Sources
Beyond Boženík, RSL are working on further attacking reinforcements. There are multiple targets, but one of note is former Sporting KC winger Johnny Russell.
Russell traveled to Utah on Monday to tour the facilities as the sides are in advanced talks, sources say. No deal is done nor guaranteed, but it is a possibility.
Russell, who just turned 35 this month, departed Sporting KC after seven seasons this winter and is still without a club. He would be a great addition to the depth and could be a game-changer off the bench.
RSL is the club to watch on deadline day, hoping to bring in at least two (if not more) additions.
Trade market
Inter Miami midfielder Julian Gressel is overwhelmingly likely to be traded, with numerous clubs calling and talks progressing. Gressel is the biggest name to watch that I can say I’m expecting to move.
There are calls happening across the league for others, but there’s no guarantee on the players I’ve heard that it doesn’t make sense to speculate. There are, of course, plenty more I don’t know about. We’ll see what shakes down on deadline day.
A lot of teams need to move a player out to make the space to bring a player in, which is gumming up talks, multiple sources say.
With Sporting KC signing Mexican forward Santiago Muñoz, multiple sources in the league have reached out to me asking about Willy Agada. Several clubs have called about Agada this window — Real Salt Lake and the Columbus Crew being two who looked into it — but SKC rebuffed all advances. They made it clear they wanted to keep Agada.
But now after signing another forward, could they be swayed? Is there still a market after RSL try to finalize Bozenik and the Crew already added Daniel Gazdag?
St. Louis pick up Becher purchase option
St. Louis City have exercised the purchase option on forward Simon Becher, sources tell GIVEMESPORT.
Becher joined the club on loan last summer from Danish club AC Horsens. The loan was set to expire at the end of June. The club are happy with Becher and doing it now takes away any doubt and ensures there isn’t a waiting period between the loan expiring (end of June) and the summer transfer window opening (July 24).
Becher, 25, has seven goals and two assists in around 1,300 minutes across all competitions since joining last season. He has appeared in all nine of the club’s MLS matches this season, starting four. He’s a valuable member of the squad.
Moves we know that haven’t been announced
The biggest move yet to be announced is the San Jose Earthquakes’ acquisition of England youth international midfielder Noel Buck from the New England Revolution.
The 20-year-old is joining the Quakes in a cash trade, as revealed by GIVEMESPORT this weekend. He follows the club’s addition of DeJuan Jones.
Elsewhere, the Houston Dynamo will sign English forward Toyosi Olusanya from St. Mirren. The club acquired an internaitonal roster slot on Tuesday to complete the deal.
Of course, the RSL moves above and potential Gressel trade are others to track.
A few names to watch this summer
Look, I’ve written (and podcasted and TV’d) about Kevin De Bruyne enough. Let’s look beyond him (and Antoine Griezmann who is likely not coming this summer) to other names to watch.
Cruz Azul forward Giorgos Giakoumakis is available this summer, just a year after joining from Atlanta United for $10.5 million. He’s an MLS-proven, elite goalscorer. Clubs with an open DP spot and a need for a forward will consider him.
The 30-year-old has been very productive in Mexico, with nine goals and seven assists in just under 1,600 minutes played. Given those numbers, I’m surprised I’ve been told so strongly he’s available.
Former NYCFC winger Jack Harrison is a name floated in MLS circles. Harrison is on loan at Everton from Leeds United, who won promotion back to the Premier League. He could stay, but if an MLS club came with the right offer, it’s a possibility.
Harrison, 28, began his career at NYCFC before heading to England.
Another name is Brazilian midfielder Willian Arão. He plays for Panathinaikos in Greece and his contract is expiring this summer.
The Houston Dynamo had talks to sign him before the deadline, but ultimately opted to hold off for now. Perhaps they come for him this summer or another club.
Arão, 33, has made 84 appearances for the Greek giants. He spent the majority of his career at Flamengo, winning the league twice and the Copa Libertadores three times (twice with Flamengo, once with Corinthians as he broke into the first team).
Lastly, one rising talent from the USL Championship to keep an eye on: Loudoun United forward Abdellatif Aboukoura.
Aboukoura, 20, has seven goals and one assist in 601 mins this year. A few MLS clubs have reached out to find out what a transfer might cost, ditto for clubs in Belgium and Poland.
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