Major League Soccer, has been raining with high-potential youngsters and experienced European league players who want a crack at the title. With more and more extravagant talent coming towards the United States, the stakes are being raised everyday.
Here are the Top 5 most expensive transfers ever made in the MLS:
1. Gonzalo Nicolas Martinez
Gonzalo Nicolás “Pity” Martínez is an Argentine footballer who spent 3 years at the Argentinian Football club, River plate where he scored 34 goals in 160 appearances in total. In 2018 he was sold to Atlanta United for a sum of $15.95 million. He has been the most expensive transfer in MLS history.
Pity Martinez is an attacking midfielder and currently plays in the Saudi Professional League for the Al Nassr after agreeing with Atlanta United on a transfer fee of $18 million on 7th September 2020.
2. Ezequiel Barco
Ezequiel Omar Barco is an Argentine player who plays for MLS club Atlanta United, where he is fixated as a winger or as an attacking midfielder.
He made his seasonal debut in 2016 with Club Atletico Independiente an Argentinian club wherein a total of 57 appearances Barco scored 8 goals. The 22-year-old was later bought by Atlanta United in 2018 on a contract fee of $13.5 million despite having a market value of 7.15 million. Barco has made 127 appearances for the club and has managed to score 19 goals so far.
3. Brenner Silva
Brenner Souza da Silva or more commonly known as ‘Brenner’ started his football career at 11 years of age as a Sao Paulo FC academy player. Turning 17, Brenner made his debut for the club playing as a Centre-forward or Left-winger.
He was loaned to Fluminense in 2019 but came back to Sao Paulo after a year. In 2020 Brenner had his best season yet wherein 44 appearances he was able to bag 22 goals, making the 21-year-old, a high-value target.
4. Rodolfo Pizarro
Rodolfo Pizarro Thomas is a Mexican footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Inter Miami and the Mexico national team.
He made his debut playing for the Mexican club Pachuca in 2012. After serving the club for 5 years, Pizarro was sold to Deportivo Guadalajara better known as Chivas for a sum of $16.23 million. He scored 15 goals in 58 apps’ during his time there and helped the club win the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League before transferring to Monterrey for $15.95 million. A year later he won the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League and the Liga MX with Monterrey as well.
In 2020, Pizarro played in MLS for the first time after signing a $12 million contract with Inter Miami on 14th February 2020. Towards the end of his first season at the club with 4 goals, he was nominated for the Landon Donovan MVP Award alongside his teammate Lewis Morgan.
5. Brian Rodriguez
An academy product of the Uruguayan club Penarol, Rodríguez made his professional debut in March 2018. Brian Rodriguez prefers to play on the Right-wing and also acts as a Second striker.
He managed to score 3 goals during his time at Penarol in a total of 26 matches. In 2019, Rodriguez left the club for Los Angeles FC (LAFC) for a club-record fee of $11.5 million and was able to make it into the Uruguay National Team and has had 9 caps and 3 goals since then.
Currently valued at $13.2 million, the 20-year-old is on a season loan at a second-tier Spanish club UD Almeria. His loan ends this year on 30th June.
