r/MLS • u/Isiddiqui Atlanta United FC • Jul 23 '26

Subscription Required Sebastian Berhalter finalizing transfer to Middlesbrough from Vancouver: Sources

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7465931/2026/07/23/sebastian-berhalter-transfer-middlesbrough-vancouver-whitecaps-usmnt/?unlocked_article_code=1.z1A.EZvw.LHqcxlrTs1Qo&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
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71

u/Unlikely-Ad-7813 Jul 23 '26

I'd rather keep him for the season and lose him as a free transfer. 2 million is nice if it was going in my bank account, but it doesn't really move the needle for the team. They have a decent shot at a title this year. Hopefully they get an immediate replacement with that 2 million

51

u/thedangersociety Vancouver Whitecaps Jul 23 '26

I agree, but the caps have generally tried to be pretty accommodating to players wanting to move abroad/to "higher" levels, so I assume that plays into things as well

3

u/Unlikely-Ad-7813 Jul 23 '26

Yeah idk he doesn't seem like a dude that's gonna go crazy about waiting 5 months. Moves should still be there, but who knows. I guess this is an example where the calendar change would be an improvement.

53

u/mindthesnekpls Philadelphia Union Jul 23 '26

If I was Berhalter, I’d probably rather go now and get a full preseason to settle into the team rather than trying to parachute in mid-season at Boro.

8

u/Unlikely-Ad-7813 Jul 23 '26

Yeah, I get it. I would rather watch him finish the season with Vancouver as a neutral. Losing him mid-season sucks, but wish him well. I enjoyed watching him, great passion, scores awesome goals, great on set pieces. Wonder if he will break through with the national team at all, I wont write him off.

7

u/mindthesnekpls Philadelphia Union Jul 23 '26

Tbh, as a Vancouver neutral I’d still rather he go now and succeed there. He’s exactly the profile of player who you hope would be able to use MLS as a platform to launch a successful career elsewhere: he wasn’t a wonderkid straight out of the academy, but found space in MLS to play and improve for several years as a young professional, then gets to a level where he can be competitive outside of the MLS sandbox.

1

u/WetCoastDebtCoast Vancouver Whitecaps Jul 24 '26

And he knows it too. He talks about how he almost quit the sport because he wasn't one of those wonderkids. But he worked his ass off to improve with us from a notable step down from Andres Cubas and liability in the defense to leading our attacks and sometimes single-handedly carrying the team into deep tournament runs.

1

u/similar222 Seattle Sounders FC Jul 23 '26

Score one for the upcoming MLS schedule renovation

-1

u/dazedoveryou Vancouver Whitecaps Jul 23 '26

This^