CF Montréal acquire Dani Pereira from Austin FC | OneFootball

By Cal Meachem

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade

CF Montréal have acquired midfielder Dani Pereira from Austin FC, the clubs announced Thursday.

In exchange for the 25-year-old Venezuelan international, Austin receive $2.1 million in guaranteed General Allocation Money (GAM). 

They could conditionally receive an additional $250k in GAM and retain a sell-on percentage.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dani Pereira to CF Montréal,” said Luca Saputo, CF Montréal's managing director, recruitment and sporting methodology.

“Dani has already acquired solid MLS experience and has proven himself to be a reliable player ever since joining the league. His work rate and technical ability will add another dimension to our midfield.

"We are confident that his profile will help strengthen our team and that he will fit perfectly into our sporting project.”

The top overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira made 165 appearances across all competitions for the Verde & Black in five-plus seasons. He tallied 6g/23a during that span.

“Dani has meant a great deal to this club since joining as its first-ever draft pick,” said Austin FC interim head coach Davy Arnaud.

“He represented Austin with pride and established a genuine connection with the community here. We’re proud of his development over the last six years, and we wish Dani nothing but success in this next phase of his career."

“This type of decision is always difficult for both the club and the player,” added Arnaud. “While emotionally we are sad to see him go, coming into the season, we knew we would only let go of a player of Dani’s caliber if doing so positioned the club for even greater long-term success. I, and our ownership team, felt that this move met that threshold, and we executed a plan that was established at the start of the season.”

Internationally, Pereira has made 10 appearances for La Vinotinto and featured twice in 2026.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey here in Austin in the last six years: all the teammates that I’ve shared the locker room with, the coaching staffs, everyone in the front office, and the owners,” said Pereira. “Everyone helped make me who I am today. Austin FC as a whole changed the life of a kid from Caracas, and I will always be grateful for it.”

“I want to share a special thank you to the fans for their unconditional love toward me and my family," Pereira continued. "You guys welcomed us to Austin with open arms since the first moment I got drafted. You all are the best in the league and please don’t ever change that. Thank you, and I’m going to miss the 512.”

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup pause, Montréal are 11th in the Eastern Conference (14 points) and Austin are 14th in the Western Conference (14 points). 

Montréal return to MLS play on July 16 against rivals Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV). Austin host Seattle Sounders FC on July 22 (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker