MLS outgoing transfers in 2019

Zack Steffen - Columbus Crew SC - 2018

The 2019 MLS season is in the books, but there were another two outgoing transfers in recent weeks, adding to the list of MLS players who have been transferred abroad by their MLS club. 


Here's the full list of 20 overseas transfers of MLS players beginning with the most recent transaction:


Michael Murillo


Transferred to: RSC Anderlecht (Belgium/First Division A)
MLS club: New York Red Bulls
Position: Full back
Transfer date: December 6, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Reportedly "high six figures, potential to get to seven figures"


Murillo fell down the Red Bulls' pecking order over the course of the 2019 season, and New York decided to cash in on the 23-year-old Panamanian international, sending him to Belgian power Anderlecht. Unlike the days when Sacha Kljestan was piling up league titles there, Anderlecht are languishing in midtable this season and are likely to give Murillo minutes right away.


Doneil Henry


Transferred to: Suwon Samsung Bluewings (South Korea/K League 1)
MLS club: Vancouver Whitecaps
Position: Central defender
Transfer date: November 20, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Undisclosed


On the heels of his busiest pro season — a career high 2,123 minutes and sixth in the league in clearances per game — Henry is now set to become the first Canadian to play in Korea's top flight. He joins a club that finished eighth last season (its worst league showing in 10 years), but salved that wound by claiming the Korean FA Cup. His departure leaves the 'Caps in need of help at the back.


Joe Scally


Transferred to: Borussia Moenchengladbach (Germany/Bundesliga)
MLS club: New York City FC
Position: Right back
Transfer date: November 13, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $2 million + appearance bonuses & sell-on fee


The 16-year-old, who has a lone U.S. Open Cup sub shift on his first team resumé, will move to the Foals on a deal that could reach as high as $7 million dollars. However, Scally isn't leaving NYCFC just yet. The two-way wingback will remain in the Bronx for the 2020 season, and then head to 'Gladbach after he turns 18.  


Wayne Rooney


Transferred to: Derby County (England/Championship)
MLS club: D.C. United
Position: Forward
Transfer date: November 21, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Free


Citing his homesick family and an opportunity to take a player-assistant coach role at Derby, Rooney cut his MLS time short after two seasons. The 34-year-old notched 25 goals and 17 assists in 52 games across all competitions wearing the Black-and-Red. He combined with Lucho Acosta to spark D.C. United's stirring 2018 rally for a playoff berth, but they were unable to get past the first game of the postseason twice in a row. We will get to his replacement later in the list.


Anthony Blondell


Transferred to: Huachipato (Chile/Primera Division)
MLS club: Vancouver Whitecaps
Position: Forward
Transfer date: October 17, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Undisclosed


After the 25-year-old struck four times in 16 loan appearances for the Steelers this past season, they took up his buy option. Blondell never really found his stride in Vancouver, departing with a lone tally from 18 MLS outings.  


Zakaria Diallo


Transferred to: Lens (France/Ligue 2)
MLS club: Montreal Impact
Position: Central defender
Transfer date: August 14, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $150,000


The veteran defender has quickly made himself at home at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Since entering as a first-half injury sub three days after making the switch from MontrealDiallo has worked every minute for the Blood and Gold. Lens have gone 6-1-3 with five clean sheets in his first 10 starts to take the league summit.


Henry Wingo


Transferred to: Molde FK (Norway/Eliteserien)
MLS club: Seattle Sounders
Position: Right winger
Transfer date: August 12, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $250,000


Often overlooked in Seattle, the 24-year-old right-sider jetted off to become the third Sounders Homegrown player to move overseas and the sixth American signed by Molde. Wingo ended the season as a Norwegian champion after making a pair of late-season cameos.  


Gaston Sauro


Transferred to: Toluca (Mexico/Liga MX)
MLS club: Columbus Crew
Position: Central defender
Transfer date: August 7, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Undisclosed


After working 45 total contests sandwiched around major knee woes, the Argentine defender moved south of the border to join Toluca. He missed their first five games of the Apertura, but Sauro immediately took up residence in the starting lineup after reaching full fitness. While Los Diablos Rojos sit a disappointing 17th in the table heading into closing day, they have made it to the Copa MX sweet sixteen.


Chituru Odunze


Transferred to: Leicester City (England/Premier League)
MLS club: Vancouver Whitecaps academy
Position: Goalkeeper
Transfer date: August 1, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Undisclosed + performance bonuses & sell-on fee


Before he turned 17 last month, Odunze had already gone 2-2 in his first four starts with the Foxes' Under-18 team, including a 1-0 defeat of Arsenal. He then started the United States' last two games at the U-17 World Cup, highlighted by a scoreless draw against Japan.


Zack Steffen


Transferred to: Manchester City (England/Premier League)
MLS club: Columbus Crew
Position: Goalkeeper
Transfer date: July 9, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $7.5 million + performance bonuses


We already knew it was coming months earlier, but the US netminder actually made his overseas move midway through the MLS season. He didn't stick around City long, as they shipped him out on loan to Bundesliga survivalists Fortuna Dusseldorf. Steffen has shined despite managing just three wins and two clean sheets from his first 11 starts. He's tied for second on the league saves chart with 43, and is third among goalkeepers and fourth overall in Kicker's cumulative player ratings.


Carlos Gruezo


Transferred to: Augsburg (Germany/Bundesliga)
MLS club: FC Dallas
Position: Defensive midfielder
Transfer date: July 2, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $4.5 million + performance bonuses & sell-on fee


After three solid seasons in Dallas, the Ecuador midfield gate-keeper returned to the Bundesliga. Gruezo started each of Augsburg's first two league tilts, but an ankle injury has kept him sidelined since then.


Andre Horta


Transferred to: Braga (Portugal/Primeira Liga)
MLS club: LAFC
Position: Midfielder
Transfer date: June 10, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $2.75 million + sell-on fee


The young midfielder's LAFC tenure got off to an inauspicious start, and he enjoyed few moments in his 16 MLS appearances. The Supporters' Shield winners cut their losses by shipping Horta back to Braga, the site of his previous loan heroics. Perhaps he just didn't fit well at The Banc, because he's playing well again. Operating most often in a No. 10 role, he's chalked up four goals and five assists in 17 overall matches, with two of those tallies and three of his helpers coming in Europa League play.


Ola Kamara


Transferred to: Shenzhen FC (China/Super League)
MLS club: LA Galaxy
Position: Forward
Transfer date: February 27, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $3.5 million


In the end, the Norway hit man's move to China represented more of a sojourn than an MLS farewell. After working just six goal-less games under Shenzhen boss Roberto Donadoni, Kamara returned stateside to join the Black-and-Red. And now that Rooney has departed, he will likely be counted on as the main strike threat in the capital next season.


Anatole Abang


Transferred to: Nantong Zhiyun (China/League One)
MLS club: New York Red Bulls
Position: Forward
Transfer date: February 21, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $250,000


The enigmatic Cameroon striker inked a three-year deal to play under former Sounders elite player development technical director Gary White, and got off to a flyer by scoring five times in his first six games for the second-flight side. Unfortunately, injury struggles limited Abang to just one goal in his next six outings, before eventually putting him on the shelf for the last three-and-a-half months of the season.


Miguel Almiron

MLS outgoing transfers in 2019 - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/Almiron,%20Newcastle%20vs.%20Arsenal.png

Almiron featuring for Newcastle United. | Reuters/Action Images


Transferred to: Newcastle United (England/Premier League)
MLS club: Atlanta United
Position: Attacking midfielder
Transfer date: January 31, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $27 million


While Almiron has remained a build ace since joining up with fellow MLS alum DeAndre Yedlin at St. James Park, he has still yet to net his first goal or notch his first assist nearly 11 months later — a fact that has aggravated a portion of the Toon Army. To be fair, both first Magpies boss Rafa Benitez and current manager Steve Bruce have routinely misused the Paraguay engine by posting him as a winger or as a stranded support forward. Nevertheless, Almiron drew effusive work rate praise from Bruce, who remains insistent that the 25-year-old will break out offensively before long.  


Sebastian Giovinco


Transferred to: Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia/Pro League)
MLS club: Toronto FC
Position: Attacking midfielder/forward
Transfer date: January 30, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $2-3 million


It had to be tough for TFC fans to watch the Atomic Ant follow Víctor Vazquez through the out door. Across all competitions, Giovinco supplied a sterling 1.1 goals + assists per 90 in 142 appearances for the Reds. Though he hasn't been quite as prolific in Riyadh thus far (0.67 G+A/90), he is helping chase silverware. They stand atop the league table near the turn and will take a 1-0 tie lead into Sunday's decisive AFC Champions League Final leg at Urawa Red Diamonds.  


Víctor Vazquez


Transferred to: Al-Arabi (Qatar/Stars League)
MLS club: Toronto FC
Position: Attacking midfielder
Transfer date: January 22, 2019
Reported transfer fee: Undisclosed


Though the visionary midfielder left for Al-Arabi last winter, he was not yet done traveling for the year. Vázquez scored twice in seven games as the Red Devils completed a midtable finish. During the summer, he was snapped up by league rivals Umm Salal. It hasn't been much fun there this term, with the veteran starting nine of 10 games for a club sitting next to bottom.


Alejandro Silva


Transferred to: Olimpia (Paraguay/Primera Division)
MLS club: Montreal Impact
Position: Right winger
Transfer date: January 7, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $3 million


Things have gone well for Silva in his third stint at Olimpia. He scored five Apertura goals as El Decano ran away with their 43rd league crown in May, and pitched in a couple of assist during their run to the Copa Libertadores knockouts. The veteran has struck six times during the current Clausura season to stand second on the team goal chart as the leaders close in on another title.  


Chris Richards


Transferred to: Bayern Munich (Germany/Bundesliga)
MLS club: FC Dallas
Position: Central defender
Transfer date: January 5, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $1.5 million + bonuses & sell-on fee


The US Under-20 standout has settled very quickly at FC Hollywood, to say the least. He impressed with the Bayern U-19's during a loan spell last year, before making the move permanent in midseason. The new campaign saw Richards promoted to the reserves, where he's gone the full 90 in every match he was available for. The club are so eager to keep him growing on the field, they've given him nine Bayern II starts at right back despite insisting his future lies in the heart of defense. The teenager has even drawn loads of transfer interest from Spain and elsewhere in Germany, but the Bundesliga champs are turning a deaf ear to it all.  


Tyler Adams

MLS outgoing transfers in 2019 - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/adams-leipzig.jpg

Adams in action for RB Leipzig. | Reuters/Action Images


Transferred to: RB Leipzig (Germany/Bundesliga)
MLS club: New York Red Bulls
Position: Defensive midfielder
Transfer date: January 1, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $3 million + sell-on fee


Before suffering an abductor injury that has cost him seven total months and counting, Adams was fast becoming a bargain Bundesliga star at the age of 20. He posted two assists in 10 games last term, and only one midfielder in the whole league averaged more than his 2.9 tackles per game. The US international missed five weeks in the spring before starting Leipzig's closing day match, but that was just the start of his muscle problems for the year. After several recovery setbacks, Adams declared this week that he's now aiming to return after the winter break.


Alphonso Davies


Transferred to: Bayern Munich (Germany/Bundesliga)
MLS club: Vancouver Whitecaps
Position: Left winger
Transfer date: January 1, 2019
Reported transfer fee: $14 million + performance bonuses & sell-on fee


There's no telling at this time whether the change is permanent or not, but at the time of writing, Davies has gone the distance at left back in five straight across all competitions. He received decent reviews for the first few outings there, but shined bright in Bayern's rout of Borussia Dortmund just before the international break and was rewarded with his first ever Team of the Week nod. In all, the Canada phenom has a goal and an assist in 10 matches on the campaign.