Major League Soccer used to shop Europe’s clearance rack. Now, Europe is shopping MLS’s showroom.
As MLS continues to develop and grow as a league, its clubs continue to develop and grow their own players. In years past, the end goal of player development in the league was to find players to contribute to the first team. Selling players on to bigger leagues happened, but it was a small exception to the rule.
While selling homegrown players to Europe isn’t commonplace by any means, MLS’s improvement on the field has coincided with improvements in player development. More and more frequently, teams from Europe are looking to MLS for their next transfer targets.
MLS clubs are developing to sell
Two transfers this winter illustrate MLS’s newer place in the global pecking order: Obed Vargas from the Seattle Sounders to Atletico Madrid and Alex Freeman from Orlando City to Villarreal. Two of the hottest young prospects in MLS earned moves to established teams in Spain’s top flight based on rapid growth in MLS, parlayed into real minutes with their national teams.
FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union have been part of this trend for years, with Cavan Sullivan’s eventual move to Manchester City one of the most high-profile moves in MLS to date. But other clubs have quietly shifted toward a more development-focused model. Real Salt Lake is a prime example. They’re certainly developing their own talent, like Xavier Gozo. But they’ve also targeted younger players like Diego Luna or Andres Gomez, players who can come into the team, develop and provide real on-field value, and eventually move abroad.
Not every club in MLS will follow this exact blueprint, but to one extent or another, every club is becoming a selling club, and the clubs that have their own talent pipeline are often the ones best set up for sustainable success.
MLS clubs are developing to deal with sales
The Sounders are a particularly noteworthy model for how to develop and sell players. Not only do they consistently get their academy products onto the field in meaningful games, but they don’t seem surprised when bids from Europe emerge for their top young players. They’re constantly stocking their roster with young players who have progressed from their academy to their reserve team, and are fully equipped to absorb the sales of key players.
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