Transfer Tracker

FC Cincinnati sign defender Bret Halsey from MLS NEXT Pro

Bret Halsey - 7.1.23 - CIN transfer

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

FC Cincinnati have signed defender Bret Halsey after his standout performances with their MLS NEXT Pro side, the club announced Saturday.

Halsey, 23, is under contract through the 2024 MLS season with club options for 2025-26. While on short-term loans from FC Cincinnati 2, he already made two substitute appearances at the MLS level.

“We’re really happy to have added Bret to the first team on a permanent basis,” Cincy general manager Chris Albright said in a release. “He’s a young player with athleticism, quality on the ball, and positional versatility. This is a testament to Bret’s hard work but also the work of Tyrone [Marshall] and our staff with FC Cincinnati 2. We look forward to Brett’s continued development.” 

Halsey originally entered MLS via the 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas when Real Salt Lake selected him seventh overall (first round) as a Generation adidas player out of the University of Virginia. While at RSL, Halsey mainly played with Real Monarchs (the club’s second team).

At the MLS NEXT Pro level, Halsey had one goal and three assists in 12 appearances (all starts) for FC Cincinnati 2 this season.