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The 10 Most Expensive Player Sales by MLS Clubs

In recent years, many Major League Soccer clubs have placed emphasis on developing young talent to transfer for a profit.

The shift in philosophy has led to a rise in eight-figure transfer fees being paid to MLS clubs.

Here, ahead of the league's 30th season, we'll take a look at the MLS players who have left the league for the largest fees and what those players did on the pitch to command those values. All transfer fees per transfermarkt.us.

Honorable Mentions

  • Ezequiel Barco, $10.5 million, Atlanta United to River Plate
  • Carlos Gomez, $10.5 million, Real Salt Lake to Stade Rennais
  • Caleb Wiley, $10.6 million, Atlanta United to Chelsea
  • Facundo Torres, $12.5 million, Orlando City SC to Palmeiras
  • Brenden Aaronson, $13 million, Philadelphia Union to RB Salzburg

10. Diego Gomez, $13.5 million

Inter Miami to Brighton & Hove Albion

The most recent mover on this list, Diego Gomez should feel flattered that scouting experts Brighton took an interest in him. He was a midfield engine for Lionel Messi's team en route to lifting the 2024 Supporters' Shield, and he won 2024 Paraguay Footballer of the Year.

Gomez had three goals and three assists in 19 MLS games in 2024, and he made over three tackles per game.

9. Juan 'Cucho' Hernandez, $13.5 million

Columbus Crew to Real Betis

Juan 'Cucho' Hernandez's signing from English club Watford FC for about $10 million was seen as a coup when he joined the Columbus Crew midway through the 2022 campaign, and he absolutely lived up to the hype in his two and a half seasons stateside.

Cucho had 44 goals and 19 assists in 70 MLS matches. He led his team to the 2023 MLS Cup with five goals and an assist in six playoff games, including the opening goal in the 2-1 MLS Cup Final victory over Los Angeles FC.

8. Alphonso Davies, $14.5 million

Vancouver Whitecaps to Bayern Munich

Alphonso Davies left the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018 as a rapid winger, and he has since developed into a world-class left back at Bayern Munich. Davies, the Canada Men's National Team captain, scored eight goals and nine assists in his final MLS season.

In Germany, Davies has played 148 Bundesliga matches and has scored nine goals with 21 assists. He has been a part of five Bundesliga-winning teams and one UEFA Champions League-winning team, and he made the 2020 UEFA Team of the Year.

7. Valentin Castellanos, $15.5 million

New York City FC to Girona

Argentinian striker Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos helped New York City FC win MLS Cup in 2021 with 19 regular-season goals and three playoff goals in as many games. Midway through the following season, he earned a move to Spanish club Girona, which is owned by the same group as NYCFC.

In one full season with Girona, Castellanos scored 13 goals as the club finished 10th in Spain's top league. He then earned a move to Lazio, where he has scored 11 goals in 50 Serie A matches.

T-5. Djordje Petrovic, $16.5 million

New England Revolution to Chelsea FC

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic was signed by Chelsea during its spending spree after a change in ownership, and he actually got 22 games of Premier League action in his first season at the club.

Now on loan at Strasbourg in France's Ligue 1, Petrovic earned his move to the Premier League off the back of a two-year spell with the New England Revolution. He had 43 MLS appearances, allowing 54 goals, keeping 11 clean sheets, and saving 19.1 goals above expected.

T-5. Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez, $16.5 million

Atlanta United to Al-Nassr

The first of three Atlanta United attacking midfielders on this list, Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez was the successor to the most expensive MLS player ever.

Across a season and a half in Atlanta, Martinez scored seven goals and provided eight assists. He had five goals and seven assists as the team finished third in 2019, and he had two goals and an assist in seven matches in 2020 before Al-Nassr paid an eight-figure fee to bring him to Saudi Arabia.

4. Ricardo Pepi, $16.8 million

FC Dallas to FC Augsburg

Ricardo Pepi fired 13 goals with a pair of assists in the 2021 MLS season, which earned him a move to Augsburg in Germany's Bundesliga. But as he struggled for playing time and chances as the team struggled to stave off relegation, many people though he made a mistake.

After about half a season in Germany, Pepi went on loan to Groningen in the Netherlands and scored 12 goals in 29 league matches. He signed for Dutch giants PSV in 2023, where he is the backup to club legend Luuk de Jong and has scored 17 goals in 1,127 minutes across 42 league matches.

3. Jhon Duran, $17 million

Chicago Fire FC to Aston Villa

Jhon Duran was a relatively unheralded signing by Aston Villa when he left the Chicago Fire for a big fee by MLS standards in 2022. He had scored eight goals in 27 matches, 14 of which were starts, in his lone MLS season.

After going scoreless in 12 substitute appearances in his first Premier League season, he began to heat up with five goals in 475 minutes in 2023/24. In 2024/25, his stock skyrocketed thanks to seven goals in just 638 minutes across 20 matches, and he made a lucrative move to Al-Nassr in January that sent a nice sell-on fee percentage to the Fire.

2. Thiago Almada, $20 million

Atlanta United to Botafogo

Argentinian attacking midfielder Thiago Almada formed a strong duo with striker Giorgios Giakoumakis throughout most of his two-and-a-half seasons with Atlanta United, but the club sold both players in the summer 2024 transfer window.

Almada, who signed for Atlanta from Velez Sarsfield in his home country, scored 23 goals and provided 24 assists in 77 MLS matches. He had 11 goals and 16 assists in 2023, his best season at the club, but never led the club to the heights one of his predecessors, the next player on this list, did.

1. Miguel Almiron, $24.7 million

Atlanta United to Newcastle United

Argentinian attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron led Atlanta United to win MLS Cup in the franchise's second season of existence, and as a result, he became the most expensive MLS player ever with a transfer to Newcastle United in England.

In 62 MLS appearances in two seasons, Almiron scored 21 goals and provided 19 assists. He went from nine goals and eight assists in his first season, 2017, to 12 goals and 11 assists in 2018.

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