The Week in MLS Transfers: Feb. 1-7 | OneFootball

There were 34 trades this week, two more than the last seven days. Fifteen of these were outbound, earning their teams $7,165,000 of profit from sales. Nineteen were inbound, for a cumulative spend of $30,465,000 in transfer fees. Two-thirds of MLS teams (20) performed at least one move, and three sides made three moves: Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City.

Here are some of the biggest transfers.

IN – Cheikh Sabaly (F)

Vancouver Whitecaps plucked striker Cheikh Sabaly from Ligue 1 side FC Metz, it was reported Friday. The 26 year old forward is a recent AFCON winner with Senegal. He played in two matches and got an assist in their 3 – 0 win over Botswana.

For Metz, this was a strategic sale. They were promoted last year, but currently sit in the bottom spot and will likely be relegated. While Sabaly was an important part of their promotion campaign last season, scoring 15 goals, he was also entering his last year on contract. The club had to sell if they wanted to reap any financial gain, extracting $11.7M from Vancouver.

IN – Jorge Ruvalcaba (F)

We broke this story back in late January, but it wasn’t official until this Monday when Pumas UNAM confirmed they sold Ruvalcaba to make room for Uriel Antuna. New York Red Bulls were the beneficiaries, forking over a healthy $6.5M, the second highest fee of the week and eighth most expensive of the offseason so far.

IN – Morgan Guilavogui (F)

This is a bold acquisition from Real Salt Lake, as the Guinean forward coming in from RC Lens will occupy a DP and International roster spot. He’s a versatile attacker who can slot into any up front system, and has career stats of 55g/16a in over 200 games. His transfer cost the club over $5.9M according to Transfermarkt.

IN – Elías Báez (D)

It’s not just the forwards earning big fees. Defender Elías Báez was acquired by Atlanta United from Argentinian top-flight side San Lorenzo for just under $3M. He’ll take up a U22 Initiative and International roster spot, joining his countrymen Tomás Jacob (defender) and keeper Lucas Hoyos with the Five Stripes.

SWAP – Cole Bassett (D)

Defender Bassett will exchange the high altitudes of Colorado for the rainy forests of Portland Timbers. This was a straightforward $2.65M cash deal, and the Rapids can earn up to $950K more if certain performance metrics are met. They also retain a sell-on percentage if Portland later engineers a big money move.

OUT – Jacen Russell-Rowe (F)

Last Monday the Columbus Crew announced the 23 year-old Canadian attacker Russell-Rowe would be heading to Ligue 1’s Toulouse FC. The club will pocket a cool $2.5M and retain a sell-on percentage. Though he started with Toronto FC’s academy, Russell-Rowe made a splash with the Crew’s MLS Next PRO unit before moving onto the first team. In 109 matches he earned 22g/10a.

OUT – Maarten Paes (GK)

Paes is a Dutch-born goalkeeper who rose through the Utrecht FC academy and moved to Dallas in 2022. An Indonesian citizen since 2024, he has earned ten caps for that nation. His return to the Netherlands, and the Eredivisie juggernaut Ajax Amsterdam, will give FC Dallas $1.76M in revenue.