Winter transfers: Who are the most impactful signings in MLS? | OneFootball

By Dax McCarty

The MLS Primary Transfer Window has come and gone.

Who have been some of the most impactful signings? Which players have hit the ground running? Here are six names that have caught my eye and transformed their teams in 2026.

But before diving in, a few honorable mentions:

Cristian Espinoza

Forward · Nashville SC

For so long, we asked Nashville to get Hany Mukhtar a creative sidekick who would raise the team’s level. And while there have been pretty good players put around him in the past, there's no question this is the most dangerous the Nashville attack has ever looked. 

That’s all because of Cristian Espinoza. He's a legitimate third scoring option who’s been one of the league’s top chance creators the past five years. Some people may have overlooked him because he was in San Jose, but we’re talking about one of the best free-agent additions in league history.

Already, Espinoza has provided a club-defining moment. He scored the goal that knocked Inter Miami out of the Concacaf Champions Cup, helping Nashville eliminate a side they’ve repeatedly fallen short against in knockout phases.

Espinoza was clearly the missing piece. He’s downright lethal alongside Mukhtar and Sam Surridge.

Stephen Eustáquio

Midfielder · Los Angeles Football Club

Stephen Eustáquio has been LAFC’s missing piece with ball progression through midfield. 

LAFC have a lot of very good midfielders who all profile as No. 8s – all-action, box-to-box guys who want to defend, then get forward and attack the box. Yet none of them truly have creative influence from deep in midfield. That's what Eustáquio adds, bringing a dangerous element of vision and passing from deeper spots that they’ve lacked since maybe prime Ilie Sánchez. 

Eustáquio knows when to speed the game up. He knows when to slow the game down. He sets the tempo and the rhythm. And because LAFC are so dominant in attack, when teams sit in a low block, he's not an out-and-out No. 10, but he’s significantly more forward-thinking in his passing to try to break them down.

This is a guy who's performed in the UEFA Champions League with Porto. He's still in his prime. And he has the motivation of representing Canada at a home World Cup this summer.

Morgan Guilavogui

Forward · Real Salt Lake

What a player Real Salt Lake have on their hands. 

When you bring in a Designated Player and the first reaction is, ‘Who?’, then it's always going to be met with a little bit of skepticism. But credit to the club; they knew exactly what they were getting in Guilavogui.

His physical profile is really impressive. He's tall and lanky, but he moves throughout the game in a really fluid way. He's got pace. He's got strength. He's got really good technical ability, so he can work the ball and wiggle out of tight spaces.

Guilavogui had an assist that I saw live against Atlanta United, and it showed something RSL didn't have unless Diego Luna pulled a rabbit out of his hat:

Guilavogui has added a different element to the RSL attack. Not only can he attack the goal, but he has the pace to run in behind and a creative element to his game. He can play out wide. He can play in the middle. I love his positional flexibility and versatility. 

Pablo Mastroeni has come out and said Guilavogui is one of the most talented players he's ever coached. That says it all, and Pablo doesn’t look far off.

Timo Werner

Forward · San Jose Earthquakes

The early returns on Timo Werner are really positive. 

He’s looked engaged. He's looked sharp. And he's looked fit, which was my big concern. When you've only played a handful of minutes before coming here, it’s fair to question a guy's fitness and mentality. But Bruce Arena has been really deliberate in how he's brought Werner along. He came off the bench at first, then was brought into the starting XI, easing him into a group that’s surpassed expectations.  

While Werner hasn't scored yet, he's looked dangerous on the ball and shown creative vision that I think we all overlooked when he first arrived. Werner has been really impressive with his vision in the final third and ability to unlock a back line with a final pass.

Whether it was in the Bundesliga or Premier League, Werner always thrived off being the guy on the end of service and getting on the end of breakaways and through balls. Bruce Arena will surely want to see that more in the months ahead, but he’s been huge for the Earthquakes so far.

Guilherme

Midfielder · Houston Dynamo FC

I mean, this might be the assist of the year in MLS:

The biggest problem I saw with Houston the last couple of seasons is that once Coco Carrasquilla and Héctor Herrera moved on, they struggled with creativity and game-changing moments. Enter Guilherme, who has added a dynamic and versatile element to their attack. 

The Brazilian is one of the league’s top producers with seven goal contributions (4g/3a). He looks really efficient in the final third in terms of finishing ability and decision-making. We saw it in the clip above – the weight of the pass, the ability to see that window develop and make that split-second decision to play it, to use Lawrence Ennali’s pace. The whole play was beautiful. 

The Dynamo look like they’ll be more dangerous this year and shape the Western Conference Audi MLS Cup Playoffs race. While Mateusz Bogusz is their star name from the offseason, and he's certainly shown glimpses of brilliance, Guilherme has stolen the show and been better.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi

Defender · Chicago Fire FC

Mbokazi could have the highest ceiling of any signing this winter. 

His physical profile is perfect for an MLS center back. Even if he's slightly undersized, he's got tremendous athletic gifts in terms of aerial ability, recovery speed and ability to win challenges. You can leave him 1v1 with dangerous attackers and your team higher upfield to re-press because of his ability to win duels. 

In terms of results, Chicago have only conceded five goals through five games. The attack wasn't the problem last year. It was strictly that they conceded far too many times. And while the sample size is small, this start suggests Chicago will be significantly better because of Mbokazi. 

Then there’s Mbokazi’s ability on the ball, where he's almost a vibes guy with his comfort level and confidence. He's always looking forward, always wants to break lines and finds players in dangerous pockets.

Plus, if you have a center back who can do this?!? My word.

Watch out for Mbokazi at this summer’s World Cup with South Africa. Chicago have a gem on their hands.