Thiago Almada, John Tolkin and 11 players using the MLS Playoffs to earn big-money transfers to Europe
GOAL takes a look at a group of players that, if all goes well, could be departing MLS after this postseason
It's the nature of the beast, isn't it? In this sport of ours, the world is always wondering 'what's next'? The present rarely feels as important as the future, especially when everyone in the game is one big move away from changing it all.
So, even with the MLS Playoffs underway, there is already one eye looking towards the winter months and the transfer window that comes with them. These are the games that really count, the ones that make the difference between failure and that ever-elusive MLS Cup. They're also the games that could earn players life-changing moves as suitors watch on to see how they handle these big moments.
As the postseason continues, several players will almost certainly be playing their final MLS matches. Others, in the coming months, will see both their own and their team's resolve tested by suitors overseas. Transfer season is coming, and recent history tells us that MLS will be a target for many of Europe's elite.
But which players will the clubs overseas be keeping an eye on this postseason? GOAL takes a look:
GettyThiago Almada (Atlanta United)
This is the big one, so we'll get him out of the way early. Thiago Almada is only 22 and already owns a World Cup winner's medal. He's learned from Lionel Messi and established himself as one of the next stars of the Argentina national team. All of that points to one fact: he isn't long for MLS.
It was rumored that he would leave Atlanta this past winter after tasting glory in Qatar. The rumors continued into the summer, although they never turned into anything concrete. But after a season that saw him score 11 goals while assisting 16 more, can Atlanta keep hold of him any longer?
Almada may already have gotten everything he could need out of MLS, and it does feel like a miracle that the league helped him develop into a World Cup-winner so soon. The next step, though, is to become an Argentina starter, and that leap will likely have to come with a move to a bigger league overseas.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesJohn Tolkin (New York Red Bulls)
John Tolkin has already written his name into Red Bull lore with his heroics in the final week of the season. The club's fan-voted Player of the Season stepped up and fired his hometown team to the postseason, scoring a dramatic stoppage-time penalty against Nashville SC to pull off the impossible.
He followed that up with a stunning free-kick in the Wild Card win over Charlotte, furthering his legacy at a club that has built itself on Homegrown stars in recent years.
Tolkin clearly has the clutch gene. He also has the confidence and mentality to take him far. The young leftback is a player that is seemingly destined for a big move, and it seems like this winter will be when that happens.
As things stand, he's right on the fringes of the U.S. men's national team, and with the Copa America looming, a move to Europe seems like it'll be what Tolkin needs to further his career at both club and international level.
GettyFacundo Torres (Orlando City)
Arsenal were keeping tabs on Facundo Torres last January, and Ajax were linked with him earlier this year, too. When teams like that are in the picture, it feels like its only a matter of time.
Torres took something of a step forward this season as a goalscorer, netting 14 times in 30 games after scoring nine in 33 in 2022. He's also continued his development with Uruguay, earning four more caps to take his total to 14 after earning a call-up for the World Cup last year.
As with Almada, Torres has everything in his favor: a good pedigree, senior experience with a top South American country and proven development in MLS. And, as with Almada, it's a matter of when he leaves, not if.
The question now is how far he can lead Orlando City before that time comes, having already helped carry the club to a U.S. Open Cup title last season.
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Getty ImagesMiles Robinson (Atlanta United)
Miles Robinson's contract at Atlanta expires at the end of the season, and it appears he'll have some choices to make. He had been linked with PSV during the summer, where he could've joined fellow USMNT stars Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman. However, many teams in Europe will look at Robinson and see a major asset. USMNT experience, MLS dominance and just 26 years old… What else could teams want?
He's shaken off any concerns that were lingering after his horrible Achilles injury, which robbed him of a World Cup place. If not for that injury, he may be in Europe already, but instead, Robinson remains a key figure at the heart of the Atlanta defense.
He seems ready for the next step, though, as he looks to lock down a starting place for the USMNT on the road to 2026.