Summer 2023 will forever be known as when Lionel Messi brought his transcendent talents to Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer.
The move will shape the sport’s direction in North America for decades to come, putting the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in IMCF’s iconic pink jersey a half-year removed from lifting the World Cup title with Argentina.
But what about other big moves league-wide, ones shaping the sprint towards the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs?
After the Secondary Transfer Window closed on Aug. 2, here are the biggest signings by MLS clubs. We focused on newcomers rather than intra-league trades. Clubs can still sign free agents through the Roster Freeze Date on Sept. 15.
Naturally, we start in Miami with a double feature. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were announced by the Herons shortly after Messi put pen to paper, giving the club a trio of FC Barcelona legends who still have plenty in the tank.
Busquets is considered one of the game’s best-ever No. 6s, while Alba is an elite attack-minded left back. These are world-class players (get a deeper dive here).
Miami have also brought in three U22 Initiative signings: Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gómez (from Club Libertad) and rising Argentines Facundo Farías (from Colón) and Tomás Avilés (from Racing Club). That provides Miami with potentially six new starters, but the Barça-centric reunion with Messi, Busquets and Alba is the clear headline.
Acquired: June 13 transfer from Al-Shabab FC
When FC Cincinnati club-record signing Brenner was transferred out to Italian top-flight side Udinese, there was an immediate question of who would step into the striker’s vacated Designated Player spot. General manager Chris Albright and FCC’s front office turned to the Saudi Pro League, landing Gabon international Aaron Boupendza as a long-term building piece.
Boupendza doesn’t need to carry the line by himself. Rather, he’s one part of a trident that includes US international Brandon Vazquez and midfielder Luciano Acosta, who’s a clear 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate.
Boupendza previously won Golden Boot honors in Turkey’s top flight. Once he fully adjusts to the league leaders (who are on an MLS-record points-per-game pace), the returns could be in the 15-20 goals/year range.
Acquired: June 27 free post-Norwich City
Minnesota head coach Adrian Heath freely admits the Loons haven’t quite solved their striker problem since Christian Ramirez led the lines during their early MLS days. Even more, that was a half-decade ago and Ramirez is now back stateside with the Columbus Crew after time in Scotland.
The club hopes that’s all changed via some early-summer window business, signing Finland international striker Teemu Pukki after he spent five goal-filled seasons at English side Norwich City. Pukki arrived in late June on a free transfer, joining Emanuel Reynoso in the DP category.
That last part is vital, because the Pukki + Reynoso combination has the potential for fireworks. Once they start understanding each other’s movements and habits, don’t be surprised if Pukki’s banging home 15+ goals a season.
Acquired: June 10 transfer from Pachuca
Technically speaking, Cristian Arango only spent 130 days out of MLS – the time between LAFC transferring him to Liga MX side Pachuca (Feb. 1) and Real Salt Lake bringing him back this side of the border (June 10).
And while LAFC fans may do a double-take when seeing Arango competing for another Western Conference club, it’s easy to see why RSL ownership continued their roster investment with a reported club-record fee for the Colombian international.
Arango, in his prime at age 28, was the leading scorer on last year’s Supporters’ Shield/MLS Cup double-winning team. Now he’s got 31 goals and nine assists in 54 matches for his MLS career, a truly impressive scoring rate that should keep RSL in the trophy conversation.
Acquired: July 25 transfer from Nottingham Forest
Imagine if Hany Mukhtar has a lead-the-line striker to play off and combine with. What level could the reigning MVP and Golden Boot presented by Audi winner reach, mindful of his league-leading 21 goal contributions (13g/8a) this season?
Step in Sam Surridge, acquired from EPL side Nottingham Forest as the club’s new DP No. 9 for a reported transfer fee of around $6.5 million. It’s not the first time Nashville have turned to the international market for this role – Jhonder Cádiz and Aké Loba were supposed to be that guy – and there’s caution to be heeded from past moves.
But if head coach Gary Smith gets the most out of Surridge, and the player can develop quick chemistry with Mukhtar in attack, Nashville’s ceiling increases. We’re talking about a legit MLS Cup contender.
Acquired: Aug. 2 transfer from Fenerbahçe
Alarm bells started ringing in Columbus when the club transferred leading scorer Lucas Zelarayán to the Saudi Pro League. But the club's front office acted swiftly to create a new DP trio of Diego Rossi, striker Cucho Hernández and midfielder Darlington Nagbe.
Rossi, a 25-year-old Uruguay international, arrived from Turkish Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe. He brings a different profile than Zelarayán, but is similarly MLS-proven and rose to stardom while playing for LAFC from 2018-21, memorably winning the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi in 2020.
In Columbus, Rossi joins the league's highest-scoring offense (45 goals scored) as Columbus seek an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs return under new head coach Wilfried Nancy. He's their second high-profile addition of the summer after the club acquired US international midfielder/defender Julian Gressel from Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Acquired: Aug. 3 as a free agent
FC Dallas shuffled some pieces around in the central-midfield department, trading homegrown talent Edwin Cerrillo to LA Galaxy and acquiring both Canadian international Liam Fraser (transfer from Belgium's KMSK Deinze) and former Spanish international Asier Illarramendi.
The real headliner is Illarramendi, who has long been linked with an MLS move that Dallas ultimately got over the line. He arrives after playing in nearly 350 games for Spanish top-flight sides Real Sociedad and Real Madrid, plus won a UEFA Champions League title in 2014.
This could be a short-term deal, as Illarramendi is only signed through the 2023 MLS season with an option for 2024. But if it pans out, Illarramendi gives Dallas a true gem.
In less than 24 hours, with the transfer deadline looming, Vancouver swung big and landed two Canadian international fullbacks. It's an upgrade for the Whitecaps, who are a potential darkhorse playoff team from the Western Conference.
Sam Adekugbe's long-term deal represents a homecoming, as he previously spent 2013-17 with Vancouver amid several loans to European clubs. His career has blossomed over the last half-decade, highlighted by nearly 160 appearances across Vålerenga (Norway) and Hatayspor and Galatasaray (both Turkey).
Richie Laryea's short-term loan – it runs through December 2023 – sees him return to MLS after spending the first half of the 2023 campaign on loan at Toronto FC. Throughout his MLS career, which began in 2016 with Orlando City SC, Laryea has 10 goals and 14 assists in 116 matches (88 starts).
Acquired: Aug. 2 transfer from Hatayspor
Atlanta acquired Georgian international winger Saba Lobzhanidze from Turkish Süper Lig club Hatayspor, signing him through the 2026 MLS season. Lobzhanidze joins midfielder Thiago Almada and striker Giorgos Giakoumakis as DPs in Atlanta, who kept busy during the summer window by also acquiring midfielder Tristan Muyumba and forwards Jamal Thiaré and Xande Silva.
While perhaps not a like-for-like replacement, the revolving doors element here is Lobzhanidze fills the DP spot Atlanta opened up when transferring winger Luiz Araújo to Brazilian side Flamengo. He brings an impressive pedigree, too, scoring 69 goals and 57 assists in 288 career club games. On the international scene, he has three goals and five assists in 34 matches for Georgia.
Come wintertime, might Lobzhanidze be bought down and a new DP arrives? Watch this space.
Acquired: Aug. 1 transfer from Vélez Sarsfield
NYCFC needed some attacking reinforcements this summer and they got that when acquiring versatile forward Julián Fernández from Argentine top-flight side Vélez Sarsfield. He's a U22 Initiative signing just like Algerian striker/fellow newcomer Mounsef Bakrar.
Fernández helps offset the club’s eight-figure sale of Brazilian winger and 2023 leading scorer Gabriel Pereira to the Qatari first division. His full impact might not arrive until next season (acclimation period, et cetera), but the potential is tantalizing.
Before this move, Fernández tallied seven goals and two assists in 60 all-competition appearances for Vélez Sarsfield. He’s also played five times for Argentina’s U-20 national team, including a key role at the South American Championship last winter.
Acquired: Aug. 4 transfer from Almería
LAFC are no stranger to acquiring promising Uruguay youth internationals (see Rossi and Brian Rodríguez). Rossi now plays for the Columbus Crew, while Rodríguez is at Liga MX side Club América.
In Olivera, they get a U22 Initiative signing from LaLiga side Almería who has mostly done damage while on loan in Uruguay. For instance, Olivera tallied 10 goals and eight assists in 38 matches across all competitions while at Boston River.
Olivera was LAFC’s third signing of the summer window after they brought in forward Mario González (transfer from Braga) and midfielder Filip Krastev (loan from Lommel). The versatile forward joins an attacking corps that includes Dénis Bouanga, Carlos Vela and Stipe Biuk.
Acquired: July 10 loan from Palmeiras
The Colorado Rapids brought in a DP striker of their own in Rafael Navarro. He's on a 12-month loan from Brazilian Serie A champions Palmeiras and is charged with jumpstarting the league's lowest-scoring team.
Navarro, who began his professional career with Brazil's Botafogo in 2020, helped Palmeiras win Brazil’s 2022 top-flight title and the 2022 Recopa Sudamericana. He was stellar in the vaunted Copa Libertadores, tallying eight goals and two assists in 13 appearances.
It was a busy transfer window for Colorado, who also acquired left back Andrew Gutman (trade with Atlanta United) and midfielder Sidnei Tavares (loan from Porto B). It's all geared toward turning around a disappointing season to date.
Acquired: Aug. 3 as a free agent
Aside from a flurry of intra-league trades, the Galaxy made a notable move in the international free agent market when acquiring Japan national team defender Maya Yoshida. Limited by transfer restrictions this summer, it's an avenue LA could canvas even further in the weeks ahead.
Yoshida, who last played for FC Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga, most notably featured over 150 times for Southampton in the English Premier League. He represented Japan at the last three FIFA World Cups, contributing to 126 overall appearances (the third-most in program history).
In Yoshida, LA get another experienced center back after Uruguay international Martín Cáceres suffered a long-term knee injury. Leadership is the operative word here.
