GOAL takes a look at five footballers from the CWC that would make sense for MLS teams to pursue this secondary transfer window
The secondary transfer window for Major League Soccer opens on Thursday, July 24, but that doesn't mean teams aren't already picking up the phone ahead of bolstering their squad for the second half of the regular-season campaign and an ensuing playoff push.
This summer, with the FIFA Club World Cup taking place in the United States, teams were playing on their doorstep, allowing clubs and scouts to get first-hand accounts of how teams and players perform in high-pressure surroundings. DAZN commentator for the tournament, Callum Williams, recently told GOAL he believes that multiple clubs are set to pounce on players who had top tournament showings.
"I think for certain teams, it is the right moment to," Williams said. "For sure, there's a handful of teams I know that are looking, they are actively having conversations."
Individuals like Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller, who has been linked with a stateside move for months, as well as Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo De Paul, would be superstar signings for the league. Then, in order to secure their spot with their respective national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a move to MLS for U.S. international Gio Reyna and Uruguayan forward Santiago Rodriguez would make sense too, as both have fallen down the pecking order for club and country of late.
There are also breakout players who emerge in the competition to catch the eyes of teams, and per reports, Al Ahly's Wessam Abou Ali could be just that man – as an Eastern Conference contender could be chasing his signature this summer now.
GOAL US takes a look at all five footballers and shares why a move to MLS this summer would ultimately make sense for each individual.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty ImagesRodrigo De Paul, Atletico Madrid
One of the best players competing at the Club World Cup this year, De Paul is a rare type of midfielder. He's a player who has elite strength and athleticism but is also gracefully and has incredible technical skill – a unicorn in the European game.
A move to MLS would be a no-brainer for any club if they were able to make it happen – but, if reports are to be believed, one in particular might actually be set to make it come true.
De Paul has been heavily linked with a move to Inter Miami this week, where he would join Argentina national team compatriot Lionel Messi at the South Beach club. According to various reports, he himself has signed off on the deal and is open to the move, while Miami and Atletico Madrid just need to come to terms over a potential agreement.
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The 31-year-old mainstay in the midfield for is a known commodity in world football, and is a 2022 FIFA World Cup champion alongside the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who already hones his trade with the Eastern Conference MLS club. A reunion would be sentimental for Messi and De Paul, who have a well-known friendship off the pitch already.
Reports say a fee in the range of $17 million would be enough for Atletico to let De Paul go, but as it stands, Miami does not have a DP spot to offer the 31-year-old. To make that happen, it would reportedly require Sergio Busquets to forgo his contract with the club, and potentially, retire.
At the CWC this summer, De Paul started all three games for Atleti until they were eliminated in the Group Stage.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThomas Muller, Bayern Munich
Muller, whose contract with Bayern Munich officially ended upon completion of the Club World Cup, has been heavily linked with a move to MLS this summer over the past few months. He reportedly turned down an approach from FC Cincinnati ahead of the competition, the club that owns his MLS rights.
However, midway through this summer's tournament, he was asked about a potential move there, and he responded with a flirtatious answer, saying: "You have to say, the entire stadium and the spectators were there very well too. They have very good conditions here, you have to say."
Although nothing is confirmed, and any transfer still has a lot of legwork to get done, it feels as though it's become increasingly likely that the German legend is going to land in the league.
MLS side LAFC have also been linked with Muller, while the 13-time Bundesliga champion himself has admitted he's "asking around" the league amid a potential signing with a club this summer.
Any club that takes on Muller will be able to sign him as a free agent, but he would likely take up a Designated Player roster slot.
At the Club World Cup this summer, he started two matches, scoring two goals and recording one assist as the Bavarian club exited the tournament in the quarterfinals to the now-finalists PSG.
Getty Images SportGio Reyna, Borussia Dortmund
Reyna needs to move as his treatment at the Club World Cup was the final straw. Where he lands next will be the most crucial point in his professional career, and playing it safe might be the best course of action for a footballer who was once deemed the next great American soccer player.
While that very well still might be true, or still come true, nobody would know because Reyna has barely played over the past two years. Sure, that's due to a mix of reasons, from injuries to a failed loan move with Nottingham Forest to falling out of favor under the managerial carousel that is Dortmund, but this next transfer is absolutely everything.
He's logged just one appearance under USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, and as things stand, he is on the outside looking in with the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. A move to MLS – a league that the Argentine manager has CLEARLY shown respect for – would be the safest bet possible to get eyes on him ahead of the competition. Sure, it's not the sexiest of moves, it's not a blockbuster, and frankly, it's a step down from where he was a few years ago, but it's a move that gets him the playing time he desperately needs. MLS would be a confidence builder, and he can always return to Europe – if he succeeds.
Any club with an open DP spot and ambitions should at least make the call. As for Reyna, he and his agency cannot mess this next move up, and a transfer or loan to MLS would ultimately make sense for both parties.
Getty Images SportSantiago Rodriguez, Botafogo
Well, here's a familiar face for MLS fans, and probably one that has you scratching your head a bit, too.
Rodriguez signed for Botafogo for a monumental fee of $17 million in February, but the move has been nothing short of a disaster. Rodriguez managed to secure only 42 minutes at the Club World Cup, and has only played a mere 430 minutes in total since his move to the Brazilian club.
As for his national team ambitions, he's fallen down the pecking order with Uruguay, too, and time is going to run out fast with if he wants to try and secure a roster spot with his nation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A loan move back to MLS, at least through the end of the 2025 campaign, would make loads of sense for both parties. It would be incredibly difficult for Botafogo to recoup anything close to the fee they paid for Rodriguez roughly six months ago, but getting him regular minutes could be crucial as next summer closes in fast. If a team were to approach the Brazilian side with a permanent offer that was anywhere close, though, it would be hard to see them turn it down.
Any club that needs a top-tier attacking midfielder should pick up the phone and ask, because it's well-documented what Santi can do within this league.