Transfer Tiers: Grading how your team did in the summer window | OneFootball

By Matthew Doyle

Just like that, the MLS Secondary Transfer Window is closed and the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs are barreling towards us.

Let's explore how all 30 teams – several of whom did largely nothing – conducted business this summer.

Bear in mind, free agent signings can still be made until Sept. 12, which is the Roster Freeze Date. There will be a couple of arrivals (there always are).

But the big moves are done. So, let’s break everyone into tiers and dive in:

CONTENDERS WHO LOADED UP

A+ · Los Angeles Football Club

Son’s already paid off with goals, assists, drawn penalties and approximately a billion shirts sold, and he’s looked progressively more comfortable as a No. 9.

LAFC also did well in adding midfield depth (Mathieu Choinière and Andrew Moran, who can hopefully add a dose of passing creativity) and scrambled to sign Ryan Porteous to fill their Aaron Long-sized hole. For a team that’s been so good, they weirdly had a ton of work to do.

I don’t think you could reasonably have asked for more. John Thorrington is really, really good at this.

A+ · Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Basically the same blurb as LAFC’s: a world-class, attacking headliner who’s immediately contributed, some midfield depth and much-needed reinforcements at center back. I don’t know if it’ll all instantly work – chemistry matters, and even if everything fits on paper, there’s no guarantee the on-field chemistry will be instant.

But by the time the playoffs come around, and then next season? The Whitecaps went big in a way they’ve never gone in their MLS history.

A+ · FC Cincinnati

Chris Albright was wheeling and dealing, trading away (or waiving outright, in the case of Sergio Santos) expensive veterans to make room for a few big signings. Of those, the one I’m most excited for is U22 Initiative midfielder Samuel Gidi, who’s got a reputation as a rangy ball-progressor, which is exactly what Cincy need on the depth chart.

But for a team that relies on individual talents to win games, getting their former No. 9 back is the headliner. Cincy couldn't open a DP slot at all this year – they’re committed to the 2 DP/4 U22 roster build model – but they essentially got one in the door anyway with Brenner.

And they did it on loan, so if it doesn’t work out, they have flexibility again this winter. But they have a purchase option that's reportedly very, very affordable.

B+ · Inter Miami CF

Rodrigo De Paul as a free No. 8 in front of Sergio Busquets and behind Leo Messi in a 4-3-3. That alone would make this a very successful summer, but then you add Argentine youth international winger Mateo Silvetti as well, and they clearly executed on some very significant plans this window.

I'm still worried about the depth chart behind Luis Suárez up top, though, and they did take a pretty significant haircut on the Federico Redondo sale while also trading away Drake Callender, with his value at a low point.

Understand there’s a need to act now when you’ve got the GOAT and a rapidly closing, three-trophy window. That explains why Miami’s summer was, let’s say, “less surgical” than the teams above them.

Still very good, though!

C+ · Columbus Crew

The Palestinian DP debuted this past weekend, and I think he’ll be good in the long run. Abou Ali and Hugo Picard – a French U22 signing who debuted last week – should both help.

But their biggest addition arrived pretty late in the window, when it was clear this team needed help earlier. The Crew have won just once in their last five, and maybe if these guys had been onboarded a month ago, things would be different.

But they’re not, so their Supporters’ Shield hopes are all but done.

The other thing is that two additions may not have been enough. The backline has looked gassed for a while, and in recent weeks, the central midfield has been less commanding. Darlington Nagbe’s injury is a huge reason for that, but well, if Sean Zawadzki didn’t have to play center back every game – a knock-on effect of Rudy Camacho’s season-long injury – then the midfield would probably be a little harder to play through (or over) these days.

CONTENDERS WHO STUCK TO THE PLAN

B · Philadelphia Union

Is Iloski as incendiary as he looked in San Diego? Of course not; not even Messi could keep up that goalscoring rate.

Nonetheless, I’m pretty sure he’s really good, and the Union did great to sign him to a long-term deal on what's presumably a reasonable number (Ernst Tanner knows no other way). They will be better because he’s on the squad.

But they still have an open DP slot, an open U22 slot, and a ton of GAM. They could’ve made some big moves, but they didn’t.

Which is to say that if they end up trophy-less again, Tanner and the rest of the decision-makers will hear it from the fans. And I’ll retroactively drop this grade, because they’ve got a real chance for silverware with this bunch.

B · Orlando City

There wasn’t much this team needed to do except bring in some flexibility along their left side. They got that in Marín, a left-footed CB/LB hybrid who will likely occupy the left back spot in the hybrid 4-2-3-1 formation Oscar Pareja has used this year. He had a rough welcome to the league this past weekend – that’s Hany Mukhtar, man; you’ll want to close him down – but he makes a ton of sense as an addition.

I really like the Tyrese Spicer trade as well. He’s already given them good minutes on the left wing.

C · Nashville SC

Nashville were handcuffed by a lack of cap space, roster space and GAM, but showed some initiative in making Peréz’s acquisition permanent. He hasn’t been wildly productive this year, but he’s got real skill and has been starting most of the time for what's clearly one of the league’s best teams.

Peréz is a good player and is now theirs, permanently, in a way that doesn’t really impinge upon any of the flexibility they’ll have going into next season. Job well done.

C- · San Diego FC

They’re out-Philly’ing Philly, both with their commitment to playing the kids and sticking to the budget. Which is to say that I’m worried their decision not to retain Iloski will end up being the biggest move of this window (not in a good way).

Still, I love a bunch of the USYNT guys they brought in, and Mikey Varas is willing to play and develop them.

Force me to pick one in particular and it’s d-mid Pedro Soma. I’ll be surprised if he’s not a national team guy for the 2030 cycle and beyond.

C- · Seattle Sounders FC

I’ve called the Sounders the deepest team in MLS history, and I stand by it. Though they're now putting that to the test with injuries or suspensions for the Leagues Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

They tried to make some signings – there were advanced talks for two U22 center forwards that I know of – that didn’t get over the line, but that’s not why I’ve docked them a couple of letter grades here (their center forward depth is elite even without any additions).

It's because they didn’t add anything at d-mid. That’s the spot they really needed to address because, with João Paulo out, it’s thin as hell behind Cristian Roldan.

SOME GOOD WORK, BUT PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH

A- · Portland Timbers

They had two open DP slots and signed two DPs – Velde on a permanent deal, and Uruguayan central midfielder Felipe Carballo on loan from Grêmio (though you remember him last year with RBNY). They also got Paraguayan international attacker Matías Rojas – last of River Plate, but before that Inter Miami – on a free for the rest of the year.

The Timbers needed to juice their attack and solidify central midfield, and they accomplished both. They did two-thirds of it with guys who won't require any MLS adjustment period.

There's every reason to think they’ll be a better team down the stretch than they have been through the first three-quarters of the year, and they have set themselves up well for years to come with this core. Really good window, even if I don’t see trophy-winning talent in this group.

B · Minnesota United FC

Fitz has been one of the best attacking midfielders in the Austrian Bundesliga over the past few years, so there are plenty of reasons to think he’ll be good here in MLS.

The question is whether he’ll need to be good – really, really good – immediately, because while Minnesota have turned down an initial bid from Trabzonspor for playmaker Joaquín Pereyra, the Turkish transfer window is still open. So… you know. Let’s monitor that situation, especially since the Loons are set to sell their starting No. 9 (Tani Oluwaseyi off to LaLiga’s Villarreal for a deal reportedly worth up to $7.5 million).

It’s Nectarios Triantis who’s maybe more interesting, though. Triantis, a U22 signing MNUFC got from Sunderland, has played both center back and d-mid in his career. D-mid is the spot Loons fans have been begging the team to upgrade for a few years now. So that’s another thing to monitor.

Overall view: Could the Loons have done more, making the kinds of moves that would’ve rocketed them unquestionably up into the “Contenders” tier? Yes. Might my season-long take on them – that they’re actually below that tier – be wrong anyway? Also yes! And they will have the chance to prove as much, as they’re still alive for three trophies.

No matter how this season ends, this was the year Minnesota really took some steps into the global transfer market. For the long-term health of the club – in terms of who they can sign, who they can sell and how they can play – that matters a lot.

C+ · Charlotte FC

Much like Minnesota, Charlotte truly took a seat at the global transfer market table for the first time this summer, between the sales of both Malanda and Patrick Agyemang.

And look, they’ve won seven in a row, so I’m not saying they needed to go on a crazy shopping spree. But even after adding fullback depth and Australian striker Archie Goodwin – a move that makes a lot of sense, and that nicely sets up a succession plan should they get an offer they can’t refuse for Idan Toklomati this winter – I don’t think they’re really any closer to being true contenders than they were six weeks ago.

C · New York City Football Club

Fernández Mercau doesn’t have the highest profile, but my god, has he had a galvanizing effect on the Pigeons’ attack, which is flying (I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m trying to delete it). The ball is pinging around these days, and he’s often been at the heart of it. But also, he hasn’t needed to have the ball constantly running through him to be effective – he’s got off-ball gravity that is purely additive.

Still, this team has an open DP slot, an open U22 slot and a ton of GAM. They didn’t exactly go all-in, which makes the grumbling I’m hearing from certain segments of the fanbase entirely understandable.

A+ to F- · Colorado Rapids

Kind of out of nowhere, Colorado were one of the busiest teams in the league, making 11 different moves this window – everything from waiving Kévin Cabral (finally) to selling Djordje Mihailovic to Toronto to, yes, spending all of those winnings on Aaronson.

I will say, straight up, that I don’t think Aaronson is as good as Mihailovic. However:

How well Aaronson does is the alpha and omega of how this window is perceived for the Rapids, both short and long term. And you could tell me anything from “yeah, he made the World Cup and then they sold him for $12 million to a Bundesliga side at the end of 2027” to “he’s on the Sam Vines career track” and I’d believe you.

HELL TO PAY IF YOU MISS THE PLAYOFFS

B · Real Salt Lake

RSL took the scattergun approach to the window, bringing in three center forwards along with veteran right back DeAndre Yedlin. Of the three No. 9s, Cruz has the highest profile, though it’s Victor Olatunji – who they purchased outright – who actually got on the board this past weekend.

I mean, I don’t know. I like how they were busy and aggressive, and I like that making these moves gives them some flexibility to wheel and deal this winter. Plus, Yedlin is still very good (he’s actually better defensively than he’s ever been) and should help a lot.

Is it enough to get them over the hump and into the playoffs? I don’t think so. But it was more good than bad.

B- · San Jose Earthquakes

I had barely registered the Vieira signing when it happened. Then he got on the field in Houston during Matchday 30 and was immediately awesome:

If he stays healthy – that's always the big question with Vieira, who’s missed a ton of time over the past five years – he looks exactly like what the Quakes have needed.

They do have three open premium roster slots, though. And that will be glaring if they miss the playoffs again.

C+ · Chicago Fire FC

Are Chicago a better team than at the start of the window? Genuinely, I think yes. Joel Waterman is an upgrade over Carlos Terán at center back, they added a little bit of left back depth, and they got a lottery ticket in Franco. It’s not at all out of the realm of possibility that Franco blossoms in MLS: he’s shown legit talent, even if he couldn’t quite crack the rotation in Porto.

But every time the Fire play one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, they get a lesson on the gulf between them. And with an open DP slot and an owner with a history of spending aggressively, it felt like this was the window they’d bring in an MVP-caliber guy.

They’re 10th in the East right now. If that’s where they sit when the final whistle blows on Decision Day, it would mark their eighth straight season below the playoff line, tying the league record Toronto set from 2007 to 2014.

C- · Austin FC

Austin are down in ninth place, but they’re almost certainly going to make the playoffs. They’ve got a four-point lead, games in hand and are a better team than the ones chasing them.

But it’s likely to be a quick postseason trip, and using their only roster flexibility to sign a backup CB (at least, that’s what he’ll be this year) when they so badly need some incisive passing out of central midfield is not the choice I thought they’d make.

D · New York Red Bulls

It’s torches and pitchforks with RBNY fans if their 15-year playoff streak ends and that DP slot is still open. Which it likely will be, given the only way they can add a DP now is by signing a free agent.

There are a few out there – Hakim Ziyech, Christian Eriksen, maybe Danny Ings? Or how about Lincoln, the 26-year-old Brazilian playmaker who’s played for Fenerbahçe, Grêmio and a bunch of other good clubs?

I’m wishcasting here, though. There’s been no reporting or rumors on any of this.

STAYED BUSY TRYING TO IMPROVE

A · Toronto FC

It’s not the big moves that were so impressive – though I like adding Mihailovic and José Cifuentes, two proven, high-level MLS guys in their prime, as cornerstones of next year’s team.

No, what TFC did that impressed me so much was the NBA-style teardown and subsequent asset collection phase. Once it was clear this season would be a bust, they put almost everyone/everything in the shop window and acquired more than $1.5 million in GAM (some of it for guys they were going to decline in winter). They also got rid of guaranteed contracts and opened up international roster slots, which gives them maximum flexibility for the rebuild.

And they cleared out playing time for a cadre of promising young domestic talents like DeAndre Kerr, Malik Henry and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint. Now if we could just get Robin Fraser to put them on the field consistently…

Remember, too: Toronto moved on from Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi in early July. It's a whole new era.

A- · New England Revolution

They needed an upgrade in goal and got it in maybe the most emphatic way possible. Through three weeks back in Revs colors, Turner has allowed just three goals on 4.6 post-shot xG (FBRef for the data), and his goals added per 96 is +0.54 (American Soccer Analysis for that one), which is to say that he’s BACK back.

I don’t think going to England was the wrong call for Turner, for what it’s worth. But I do think trying to be Manuel Neuer messed with his brain a bit, and now that he’s in a spot where he’s mostly just asked to keep the ball out of the net, he’s going to be his old self. Good for the Revs, good for the USMNT.

They also did well to add another potential goalscorer in Israeli striker Dor Turgeman, though they maybe could’ve figured out how to get another depth piece in central midfield.

Overall, this is not built like a 31-point team. They should be in good shape heading into next season.

A- · Atlanta United

This was Chris Henderson’s first full window in charge and it felt like a very Henderson window, primarily bringing in guys who are in their prime, and who have experience in the top leagues in the world (LaLiga, EPL, Portuguese Primeira, etc.) while also trying to add on the margins (Leo Afonso for a song from Miami, along with signings from the academy and their NEXT Pro side).

Here’s the obvious question: Are Enea Mihaj, Juan Berrocal and Steven Alzate as good as their respective résumés? Too early to say. But the theory here is good, and the process appears to be good.

So if those guys can raise the floor, the hope is Atlanta's very well-paid DPs can spend 2026 raising the ceiling.

B- · CF Montréal

Jaime was never able to turn his success with Famalicão into a big role with Porto, and then spent last year as a deep reserve with Valencia, but I really like this signing. MLS is the Land of No. 10s, and CF Montréal desperately need a pure chance creator in that spot. There is a “Carles Gil-to-the-Revs” element to this acquisition that you don’t have to strain to see, and for the sake of Montréal fans, I really hope it works out.

The rest of the window was more mixed: they overpaid (a lot) for Matty Longstaff, who they could’ve had for free in the winter; then they got D.C. to overpay (a lot) for Caden Clark. They parted ways with their two best center backs (George Campbell and Joel Waterman), though they were well-compensated in both cases. They sold their best prospect, Nathan Saliba, in a move that (in theory) keeps the talent pipeline open.

On balance, I think they’re less talented overall than they were two months ago. But if Jaime hits – and remember, this is a guy Porto spent $10 million on just two years ago – they’ll be in better shape heading into next year regardless.

C+ · St. Louis CITY SC

I thought St. Louis might stand pat given the way past windows have gone, but they stayed aggressive, filling their premium roster slots by bringing in Fall and doing a cash transfer with Minnesota for Sang Bin Jeong, both on U22 deals.

I am very skeptical about the Sang Bin deal, but he’s been reasonably productive through four games. Fall, meanwhile, will give any coach he plays for heart palpitations, but will also be one of the most entertaining CBs in the league, so I’m all aboard for that one.

Still, there will be major surgery on this roster in the winter after they parted ways with sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. The question is, who will be holding the knife?

C · Houston Dynamo FC

Samassékou hasn’t played more than 2,000 minutes in a season in half a decade, which is why a player of his talent at his age – he’s still just 29 and was, once upon a time, an absolutely devastating defensive presence in the heart of Bundesliga midfields – was available for essentially nothing.

It’s a good flyer. Should the Dynamo have done more? Well, they’re down in 12th, six points back and the path to the postseason is just about non-existent. So I think they were smart to keep the powder dry, do a full assessment, and then try again in the winter.

Maybe by that time, someone will have made them an offer they can’t refuse for Ezequiel Ponce (there’s been interest), which would free them up to do some real work.

LET'S THINK ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S ROSTER BUILD

A · FC Dallas

They cleared out two premium roster slots by selling Acosta and Léo Chú. They also sold veteran LB Marco Farfan – a good player, to be clear – to Tigres UANL for an undisclosed fee, which, I’m guessing, 1) does right by the player (Tigres PAY their guys) and 2) opens playing time for the academy kids coming through the ranks.

And that’s what this summer was about: they signed LB Joshua Torquato from the academy, and he’s already getting starter’s minutes. Sam Sarver, signed from their MLS NEXT Pro side, has been a sparkplug off the bench, and they brought back former academy prospect Christian Cappis from Europe.

They’ve been explicit about wanting to be the premier developmental club in MLS again, and to their credit, they’ve put their money where their mouths are.

B+ · LA Galaxy

Basically, all that money becomes GAM, and pocketing extra GAM from sales – and trades, as they got up to $150k GAM for goalkeeper John McCarthy – is the path to sustainable roster building. It’s how you avoid the kinds of roster crunches that dismantled last year’s MLS Cup-winning squad.

Given the talent hotbed that is Southern California, the Galaxy could honestly have two or three of these outbound deals every year. Let’s hope the Pérez trade is the start of that.

B · Sporting Kansas City

Montes is absolutely worth taking a flier on, and they were right to do absolutely nothing else this window (other than waiving Dany Rosero, the latest in a long list of failed CB acquisitions).

This team’s got a lot of money coming off the books this winter, a lot of international roster slots opening up, and most likely a new chief soccer officer coming in to make the decisions about how to use all of that flexibility.

Keeping a low profile showed foresight.

D · D.C. United

Spending up to $800k on Clark, an attacker who has zero goals this year, was their only move this window. At worst, that’s a 5x ROI for Montréal, who got Clark for just $50k (with incentives that could’ve pushed that to $150k – we don’t know if those incentives were hit) last season.

Still, Clark’s got enough talent to turn this into a steal. Maybe playing underneath Christian Benteke is what it’ll take to unlock his productivity?

With or without this signing, D.C. are last in the East, were the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and are a good bet to claim the Wooden Spoon. Plus, they’re locked into a ton of, uh, “generous” contracts for underperforming players through 2027.

Silver lining: United still have their own first-round SuperDraft pick, and with no expansion club this year, there’s a good chance they’ll be in the top spot.