New horizons, new opportunities

Major League Soccer has embraced the digital revolution by signing a three-year deal with TransferRoom.

All 27 clubs in the league will now have access to the online marketplace that is transforming the sport.

The league-wide agreement with TransferRoom will be a key tool in MLS’ plans to expand and strengthen the export market for its players.

"MLS clubs have not only exponentially increased the investment in young dynamic international players approaching the peak of their careers, but there is also now a global recognition of the talent being produced by MLS academies through the MLS NEXT platform,” said Todd Durbin, Executive Vice-President of Player Relations and Competition, MLS.

"Having TransferRoom available to all MLS teams allows our clubs to be more effective in the global market on incoming, and outgoing transfers."

Houston Dynamo is one of the MLS clubs already using the unique digital platform.

Sebastian Romero, Houston’s Head of Player Recruitment, said: “TransferRoom is a ground-breaking platform in the football industry. It has become a platform we use daily in our recruitment process.”

Proof of MLS’ new export drive came in the first transfer window of 2021 when the league was among the most active in the world for selling players.

A number of young stars crossed the Atlantic to join European clubs, including Brenden Aaronson (NY Red Bulls to RB Salzburg) and Mark Mckenzie (Philadelphia Union to Genk).

By plugging into TransferRoom’s global network of more than 600 clubs across 94 leagues and 54 countries, MLS clubs will be able to seek out more opportunities to do business in every corner of the world.

Cutting to the chase

Through TransferRoom, MLS clubs will also have a key advantage when it comes to recruiting players.

Central and South America is proving a fruitful market for the league, but scouting and finding accurate information across such a large territory can be difficult – especially if different agents are telling different stories.

Vancouver Whitecaps, one of the 20 MLS franchises that were already using TransferRoom, used the platform to cut through the noise in the process of signing winger Deiber Caicedo from Colombian club Deportivo Cali earlier this year.

Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster said: “My first contact with the club [Cali] was with TransferRoom because I love to directly reach out to a club and connect with them first, before so many people get involved.

“To have this first step and now waste so much time – because maybe it doesn’t work or maybe the club isn’t willing to sell, or if this doesn’t fit the player – TransferRoom is a great tool for that.”

Hunter Freeman, Director of Scouting and Player recruitment, FC Cincinnati, added: “TransferRoom has given us a platform to communicate directly with clubs to get clear and concise information quickly on all potential player transactions.

“As a new club in MLS, it has allowed us to grow our network of clubs around the world and share with them our approach as a club moving forward.”

Common goals, one platform

TransferRoom has already worked with 20 current MLS clubs, but by signing the new league-wide deal, MLS has gained access for all 27 franchises - plus forthcoming expansion teams Charlotte FC and St Louis City SC - to the network for an extended period.

Jonas Ankersen, Founder and CEO of TransferRoom, said: “We have similar agreements in place with top-flight leagues in Denmark and Norway, and will be announcing new collaborations soon.

“The deals in Scandinavia have opened up new markets for clubs there when it comes to buying and selling players internationally, giving them a competitive advantage over teams in other leagues.

“But what clubs have told us is that league-wide deals that give everyone access to TransferRoom also make the domestic transfer market more efficient and transparent. The ability to connect directly with fellow decision-makers, both at home and overseas, is a game-changer.

“We believe that our platform will help MLS clubs boost their performance as both exporters and importers of talent and so strengthen the league as the sport in North America prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”